My Sassy Princess
by Artemis Chick
Summary: About a Corellian smuggler whose life is turned upsidedown by an Alderaanian princess who unexpectedly made an entrance in his life. She drives him crazy, but then he realized that he'll be crazier without her. COMPLETED!
1. Shampoo Wars

I'm writing again another Han-Leia fanfic. This time, it's a romantic comedy version of "Deep Inside" (for those of you who have already read it, thanks!). Hope you'll also like this one!

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**RATING: **K

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars, its characters, and situations. I'm only borrowing them for this story. Just pure, clean fun!

**SUMMARY: **The hate-love relationship between Leia and Han begins. They fight all the time, and try to hide their real feelings for each other by using their weaknesses to annoy the other one. Story happens during the time of ESB.

CHAPTER I- Shampoo Wars 

An early dawn came to Cloud City in Coruscant. Misty white clouds parted the way for the rising of the sun, its rays greeting the inhabitants a pleasant good morning. Well, almost all inhabitants, except for two. A riot was going on in one of the city apartelles: its two inhabitants having a word war, separated by a bathroom door.

"Leia! Hurry up there, will you!" Han Solo stood outside the bathroom door, knocking furiously. He had been standing there for over half an hour, waiting for his turn to take a shower. He was starting to lose his patience.

A female voice droned inside the bathroom, along with the sounds of water pouring down from the shower. "Just wait there! I'll be finished!" she said confusingly.

Han angrily folded his arms and leaned on the wall. _Hah! Just because she's a princess doesn't mean she can get away with anything, _he thought. _If she stays there for another five minutes, I'm going to crash the door open. _

The door creaked open. Leia went out wearing a white bathrobe. A fluffy pink towel covered her head. She gazed at Han, while he stared back at her with a dagger look.

"Don't you know that you spent thirty minutes taking a bath? You're not the only person who's going to use the bathroom, your highness!" Han berated her angrily. "And besides, we have to leave early!"

Leia tried to reply with a witty comeback. "Oh captain, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot you were standing there!" She lifted up her head and looked at Han straight in the eye. She raised an eyebrow at him.

Han felt his blood boiling. He felt like hitting her, but he stopped himself from doing so. _I respect women, but not when they do such annoying things!_

Leia walked away from him frumpily with a huff and went inside the adjacent bedroom. She removed the towel on her head and started combing her waist-length, chestnut colored hair, which was still soaking wet. Han realized the reason why she was taking so long inside the bath.

"If I were you, your highness," Han shouted back from across the room, "I'll have my hair shaved off! You're wasting your time on that long hair of yours! You'll look prettier with a shaved head, I tell you!" Han laughed at the thought of Leia going bald.

Leia was obviously annoyed at his joke. "And if I were you, Captain Solo, I'd go inside the bathroom and start minding my own business!"

"And mind my own business, I will!" Han went inside the bathroom and closed the door with a loud "thud!"

Leia frowned, thinking, _do I have to spend every second of the day with this nerf-herder? I should have booked another room without having to share a bathroom. _She and Han had separate rooms, but with only one bathroom, so they have to race against each other on who's going to use the bath first. Today was her lucky day, as she was the first one who got to use the bath. She smiled at the thought, the fact that she was able to stand up against Han. She had been with him for days on end, discussing plans about the rebellion with the Alliance against the Empire. And fighting with Han as dogs and cats did after a hard days' work: over the food, the use of the bathroom, and their peeves and absolute dislike with the other.

_Hah, so I showed him, _Leia thought while buttoning her blouse. She plaited her hair and pulled it up in a bun. She felt like smiling to herself, as she started to hum. But her happy thoughts soon burst like a bubble when she heard Han's voice beyond the bathroom door.

"LEIA! There's no shampoo in here! Arrrgghhh!"

**A/N: **Reviews please!


	2. Nerf Brain Organa, Nerf Herder Solo

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**RATING: **K

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars, its characters, and situations. I'm only borrowing them for this story. Just pure, clean fun!

**SUMMARY: **On the way to a Rebel Alliance meeting, Han cracks a joke at Leia and ended up calling her a "nerf brain". He never let her live it down throughout the day.

Comment:

Hey! You have made a really nice story, I especially like the last sentence, it was hillarios:o)  
There's just a few things I'm confused about. Cloud City is not on Coruscant, it's on Bespin. If your story is set during ESB, then Coruscant would be occupied with stormtroopers and the Emperor, so it would be hard to stay there ;o) Just a little something...  
Oh, and is your story set before or after Hoth? It's just these few things that if you set them straight, it would make your story just fab.  
Oh, and I would love to see the next chapter soon...so keep writing:o) (From Sarah DK)

ERRATUM: Cloud City is on Bespin, not Coruscant.

(This story happened before Hoth.)

**CHAPTER II: Nerf-Brain Organa, Nerf Herder Solo**

Leia tried to keep up with Han he walked faster ahead of her. Both were in a hurry to meet with a newly appointed general of the Rebel Alliance, for the meeting was about to start. As they were walking down the halls of their apartelle, Han was doing his best to be quiet. He didn't felt like speaking to Leia, just so he could avoid another arguement with her. He felt so messed up at the fact that Leia spoiled his day at such an early hour. Because she consumed the shampoo in the bathroom, Han retorted to using hair conditioner, even though it doesn't lather too much. Until now, he could still smell the flowery scent of the conditioner lingering on his head. _My old friends would laugh at me if they found out that Captain Han Solo uses hair conditioner for shampoo, _he muses thoughtfully. Not only that; to add to his grumpiness, he still hadn't eaten breakfast; no thanks to Her Royal Highness, Princess Leia Organa, who forced him to hurry up.

Leia wasn't in a good mood either. She had been with Han for almost a month, and yet, they rarely found themselves on good terms with each other. It all started when Han rescued her from her prison cell in the Death Star. Leia, the Alderaanian chief of staff, was boarding the royal ship, Tantive IV, when Storm Troopers attacked them and took her as a hostage. She was brought to the ruthless Sith Lord, Darth Vader, as a prisoner. She was going to be terminated for acting in a movement against the Galactic Empire, when Han Solo, captain of the Millenium Falcon, together with a Tatooine farmer named Luke Skywalker, rescued her and brought her to safety.

Both became members of the Rebel Alliance, with Han as rebel general. Luke, on the other hand, found out through Obi Wan Kenobi, a retired Jedi master, that he was destined to continue the eradicated Jedi line and fight against the evils of Darth Vader. Obi Wan Kenobi was recently killed in a duel with the Dark Lord, and this dismayed Leia a little. But nevertheless, hope was to be found in the Alliance.

Both stepped out of the apartelle building. Leia smiled as she inhaled the fresh morning air, while Han hailed a cab. A car speeder stopped in front of them. Han was the first to go inside, while Leia followed suit.

As the vehicle was in motion, Han turned his head to look at Leia, who was looking outside the car window. He just wanted to make sure that she wasn't in a foul mood anymore. Since she was smiling a little to herself, and probably enjoying the sights of Coruscant, Han figured out that this was a good time to break the akward silence, which was starting to build up between them.

"Hey, your Highness," he started off. "Do you want to hear a good joke?"

Leia, who was lost in her thoughts, turned to look at Han, who was sitting beside her. Her eyebrows furrowed, thinking, _what would I want to hear a joke for? _She felt like saying that in his face, but she tried to be polite. "Are you trying to make me laugh?" she asked Han mockingly.

Han smiled sheepishly and said, "Oh come on, don't be so serious most of the time. Learn to live a little. There's nothing bad about joking around every now and then."

Leia thought about how people would find her as a serious person. Sure, she's a driven and dedicated individual who pours all her heart out on work regarding the Alliance. But she also knows how to let her guard down and find time to laugh and be quirky. Only now, she wasn't in a mood to do so. Her mind was preoocupied with work, aside from thinking of ways to get that smuggler off her sight. _This annoying creature seems to be with me everywhere I go._

"So, do you still want to hear my joke?" Han asked her.

Leia snapped a finger at him and said, "Alright, go ahead, so you'll be shutting your mouth afterwards." She folded her arms, waiting to hear that most awaited joke.

Han shook his head. _What an aristocratic bitch she is. _He cleared his throat and started.

"What tree is impossible to climb?" he asked Leia.

Leia glared at him. "That's an old joke. I know that! Of course, a fallen tree! It's impossible to climb a tree that is lying on the ground."

Han winked an eye at her. "You got that right, princess! Okay, here's another one. In what time of the day is impossible to stay up late?"

Leia rolled her eyes, saying, "In the morning."

Han slapped her playfully on the shoulder. "You're so smart!"

"Are you trying to insult my intelligence?" Leia asked him, a tone of annoyance in her voice. "You're so corny, Han. Those are outdated jokes. Everybody knows about it. Why don't you crack a much more difficult joke, you prankster?"

"Oh why not?" Han asked, pretending to be amused. _It's so hard to deal with ths humorless woman. _"What would you do if a submarine starts to sink?"

That gave Leia a huge mental block. She frowned while thinking of an answer. Han, meanwhile, realized that that was the only thing he needed to say to her in order to uncover her mental weakness.

"Errr..." she mumbled, "What would I do if a submarine starts to sink?" she whispered to herself thoughtfully. Lack of breakfast must be slowing down her thinking processes, so she ended up blurting out, "Ah! I know! I'll board a life boat!"

Hearing her answer made Han double over in laughing. Even the cab driver looked at them, trying hard not to laugh. "Miss, a submarine _does_ sink, because it travels underwater!" he reprimanded Leia. Her eyes widened, realizing that the joke required using human common sense. _I'm going to strangle you this time, Captain Solo! _She thought angrily. She felt her face turn red and burn with embarassment.

Han was already teary-eyed from laughing so hard.

"I...never...thought...that...you...can...be...a...nerf...brain!" he said in between laughs. He stopped for a while and said, "Oh, why can't you speak there? Have you lost your common sense, your highness?" Then he laughed some more. "Nerf...brain!"

Leia grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shouted angrily at him, not minding that the cab driver might hear her. "For your information, I'm no nerf brain, you moron!" She slapped him on the face.

Han looked shocked at what she did. He felt like hitting her, just like a while ago, but he forced himself not to do it. _You should be used to it, _he told himself. _Cantina girls did it to you all the time whenever you would try to kiss them. _He remembered being punched on the nose by a voluptous waitress from the Mos Eisley Cantina, while he tried to kiss her. But this was a different case. Instead, he was trying to deal with a bitchy princess. _What is it with her that I couldn't hurt her?_

Leia sank back at her seat. Han had stopped laughing. A tense silence grew inside the cab. Leia looked like she was about to cry. She was already full to the brim. She had enough of Han and his annoying ways. She could feel the tears coming, but she gulped hard and tried not to cry. _I don't want him to see me this way. How come he knows how to get into my vulnerability? _Of all the people she'd been with in the movement, only Han had the ability to treat her just like any ordinary woman, and not as a princess. In his eyes, she was just an ordinary comrade.

The cab stopped in front of a building. Leia was about to get some money to pay for the fare, when Han motioned her not to bother. He pulled out some money from his pocket and gave it to the driver. They got out of the cab, and both walked inside the hall of the Bespin Headquarters of the Rebel Alliance.

They entered the conference room. Leia chose to sit beside Luke Skywalker, who got ahead there first, while Han sat across the table, and away from Leia.

Luke probably noticed that they were not speaking to each other. He tried to break the tension, saying, "Good morning, your highness."

Leia greeted him back and smiled at him. Then he looked at Han from across the table. "Good morning, Captain Solo." Han smiled at him and not uttered a word.

Luke looked back and forth at them quizically. "Why aren't you two speaking?" he asked. "Lovers' quarrel, eh?"

Both pointed a finger at each other and said two things at the same time.

"Go ask Nerf Herder Solo!"

"Go ask Nerf Brain Organa!"


	3. Care for a Carbonite Popsicle?

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**RATING: **K

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars! Just for fun. 'Nuff said.

**SUMMARY: **During lunch at the Rebel Alliance Bespin Headquarters, Han gave Leia an ice popsicle as a peace offering, to make up for the fight they had that morning.

**CHAPTER III- "Care for a Carbonite Popsicle?"**

That afternoon, after the meeting they had, Leia went off by herself to eat lunch at the canteen downstairs. Her stomach was already making grumbling noises due to lack of breakfast. She also hoped that she would not bump again into that nerf herder, a.k.a. Han. She still felt angry with him for calling her a "nerf brain".

Upon arriving at the canteen, she fell in line to buy food. After choosing her meal, she sat at a table and started eating. Leia played around with the thought of eating lunch alone, and with finding herself as company more often, she was finally getting used to the idea of having no family and friends to be with her all the time. Recently, she lost her father and her loved ones when the Death Star blasted the planet Alderaan, her home planet, to bits. She was still mourning over the death of her adoptive father, Bail Organa. She felt like going mad, blaming the forces of the universe for handing her such a tragic fate. _But there is nothing I can do now, _she thought. _No amount of tears will ever bring my father back to life. I have no choice, but to move on with life and try to be happy. _

Leia felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder. "Your highness, can I sit here with you?"

She turned her head and looked at the source of the male voice coming from behind. It was Luke Skywalker. He gazed at her with sympathetic eyes and a smile. Leia smiled back at him. "Oh sure," she replied. "Have a seat". She gestured towards the empty chair in front of her. Luke thanked her with a nod of his head and went to sit in front of her.

Not a word was said as they ate. Once in a while, Luke would ask Leia about trivial matters, then, afterwards, would went back to finishing their meal. _I feel so at ease with Luke, _Leia thought. _I feel as if I've known him for a lifetime. I like the way that he doesn't treat me the way boisterous Han does. I'd try to be with him more often._

"Your highness, can I ask you a question?" Luke asked. Leia lifted up her head and said gently, "Sure. What is it?"

"I hope you don't mind if I ask you this, but I've noticed a lot of times that you and Captain Solo are not in good terms so often. Are you angry with each other?"

Leia sighed deeply, and felt her blood boil at the mention of Han. She grew silent.

Luke felt embarrased with her gesture. "Oh, forgive me. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you about this."

"No, it has nothing to do with your question," Leia smiled sheepishly. "Han has been a pain to be with these days. I don't like the way he treats me so shabbily." With that, she started confiding to Luke about all the mean things Han did to her. How he would call her names like "nerf brain", how Han would do annoying things to her to lose her temper.

"Your highness," Luke smiled, shaking his head, "You know what, you should be more patient in dealing with the people around you, especially with Han. Don't look for yourself in other people, because you're just setting yourself up for a major disappointment. Just have more patience."

Leia felt a bit relieved with Luke's advice. "I admit that I can be a proud person, but I just can't help but be annoyed with Han everytime I'm around him."

"Maybe Han likes you a lot, that's why he kept on doing those things to you to capture your attention," Luke said.

Leia laughed slightly. "Him? Why would he like me?"

"It's a possibility. The more you hate, the more you love."

"I would _never _like Han," she said haughtily.

"Be careful with what you say, your highness. You might eat those words someday," Luke said smilingly, with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "Speaking of Han, I think he's here now." Luke waved at Han from afar. Leia turned her head as she watched Han approached their table. Luke stood up as he greeted him, while Leia remained seated.

"Good afternoon comrade!" Luke said to Han. Both slapped each other on the shoulder playfully.

Han turned to Leia, who was giving him a mean stare. "How was your day, your worship?"

He smiled at her mischieviously, thinking, _I hope you'll forget about what had happened this morning at the cab. _"I hope lady nerf brain's okay now," he whispered to Leia.

Leia felt her blood boil again. "If you don't stop calling me a nerf-brain, I will..." she suddenly blurted out loud. She stood up and discreetly grabbed Han's wrist, trying to twist it. "Owwww!" Han winced in pain.

Luke reprimanded them for acting so childish, having noticed that all eyes were on them. "Stop that!" he whispered. "Everybody's looking at us."

Leia looked around and noticed that most of the people had their eyes averted towards their place; some even lifted up their heads while they ate their meals to see where the commotion came from. Shocked and embarassed at the same time, she let go of his hand. Leia slumped back in her seat, while Han apologized to the nosy crowd. "Hehe..." he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for that." Then he took a seat beside Luke.

"Having a lovers' quarrel, right?" Lando Calrissan, the newly appointed rebel general asked, as he approached their place.

"Yeah, right," Han replied sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest.

"Mind if I eat lunch with you Luke, along with these two lovebirds?" Lando asked again as he sat beside Leia, who was obviously annoyed. _Do we look like a couple? _she thought.

"Good afternoon, your highness," he greeted Leia.

Leia tried to hide her annoyance over Lando's statement. _Lovebirds. _She forced herself into a smile. "Good afternoon too, General Calrissan." He shook her hand while she said, "I hope you don't mind, but I have to go now, as I'm finished with my lunch. So you'll have plenty of time for a guy-to-guy talk." The truth is, she was making an excuse to walk away from a situation that might put her again into embarassment, what with Han back in her sight again.

"Oh, that's nothing. Fine with me." Lando replied. Leia stood up and walked away. From afar, she waved her hand at the three men who was left at the table. When she was out of earshot, Lando asked Luke. "Are they quarreling over something?" he whispered.

"As always," Luke replied. Both laughed.

"Must be her time of the month," Lando joked, and they laughed some more.

"Women are so hard to understand sometimes."

Han, who was lost in his thoughts, got distracted with the sound of their laughter. "Are you talking about me?" he asked.

Both denied the fact that he and Leia were the topic of their conversation. "Oh no," Luke said as he shook his head.

"We were just talking about what we would like to have for lunch, right Luke?" Lando said. He stood up while Luke followed suit. "Let's fall in line now and buy our lunch, matey!"

"Sure! Why not?" Luke turned to Han and said, "We'll just leave you for a moment while we get some food. Do you like anything?" he asked Han.

"No thanks. I'll buy my own meal later." Han actually didn't felt like eating, having lost his appetite to Leia's tempestuous attitude. _This woman really gets under my skin. No wonder, she's so fun to tease and made fun of._ Then a realization struck him._ But maybe I shouldn't tease her that often. Her ice queen demeanor gets colder that way. _A brilliant idea went off his head. Standing up, he went to the lunch line. _This gesture will make her talk to me, _Han thought, smiling.

After she ate, Leia took a short leisurely walk by herself around the building. _I'd rather be alone here than have that scruffy nerf herder tease me all the time, _she thought. Thinking of Han made her angrier, so she diverted her thoughts to something else, when all of a sudden, she heard that all too familiar voice.

"Care for a carbonite popsicle, your highness?"

Leia turned her head and found Han standing in front of her. In his hand he held an orange-colored twin popsicle. He broke the popsicle in two and gave the other half to Leia. Speechless, she didn't know what to make of this gesture. _Was he trying to apologize for being mean to me? _She felt she had no choice but to accept this peace offering, if that was really the case. Leia took the other half of the popsicle absent-mindedly. "Thanks", she said shyly.

He followed her while she went to the balcony overlooking the magnificent view of Cloud City, its tall skyscrapers almost touching the feathery-white clouds, while speeders and cabs zoomed back and forth. Both didn't say a word to each other as they ate their popsicle.

Han broke the silence between the two of them. "Your highness," he said hesitatingly, "Are you still angry at me?" he asked.

Deep in her heart, Leia was actually touched with this gesture. _I can't believe he went out of his way just to make ammends with me. _"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Han smiled and said, "I won't last a day if you're still not going to talk to me, so to get your attention, I brought you a popsicle. I thought you might like to have one for dessert."

"Thanks for the effort." Leia said, smiling. "By the way, did you eat your lunch? You might be hungry."

"Nope." Han denyingly said.

"Are you nuts? We still have a long day ahead of us. Go get something to fill your stomach."

"Alright, your worship. As you said so." Han bowed his head as a sign of respect before he walked away. He looked at Leia for the last timebefore he made his way back to the canteen. Han thought he saw Leia flashed a sweet smile at him. It was the first time she smiled at him like that, and he couldn't get the picture of her smile out of his mind. _Maybe she has a softhearted side, after all. _

Along the way, Han whistled a tune._ Am I feeling so happy just because she is speaking to me again? _he asked himself. He realized that he won't last a single hour without hearing the sound of her voice, never mind her mood swings. _I'll do anything just to get you to talk to me, your highness. _


	4. Waiting in Vain

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**RATING: **K

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars! Just for fun. 'Nuff said. (Title borrowed from a song of Bob Marley entitled "Waiting in Vain".) The _Stairway to Heaven Bar and Lounge _was my idea.

**SUMMARY: **That night, Han, Luke, and Lando went to a bar to have some fun, while Leia is left home alone (actually, she's not alone; she's with C3PO.). Leia stayed up all night and waited for Han to come home. (In case you're curious, Chewie's on vacation, and will soon make an appearance in the future chapters of MSP.)

CHAPTER IV- Waiting in Vain 

"Military provisions will be soon sent to the rebel base in Hoth. In two months' time, we will be able to go there and engage in full combat with the Storm Troopers. So far, the base is still intact, and nothing worse yet has happened." Leia's authoritarian voice echoed off the halls of the conference room while she discussed about the situation in Hoth. The Rebel Alliance held a secret underground base there, and it was a perfect place, what with the snow as an excellent camouflage. They prepared long enough for combat with the Empire's soldiers, and after a long wait, the time given for preparation was worthwhile.

Leia looked at the wall clock, and decided that it was time to dismiss the meeting. "Well," she started, "I think we had enough for this day. You're all dismissed. Have a good day." The rebel generals and officers stood up to their feet and started to file out of the conference room. Soon, the hall was filled with noisy chatter of people who discussed their plans for the night.

"Good men, I know a place where we could sit back, relax, and spend the entire night," said Lando Calrissan, who was in the company of Han and Luke. The three of them planned to go out for dinner that night, and, add to that, to check out the nightlife in Cloud City. They talked about their plans excitedly as they walked the halls of the Rebel Alliance Bespin Headquarters.

"I would love that!" Luke Skywalker smiled, his thoughts filled with good food, good music, and endless hours of bonding with his newfound friends. "At last, after a month of staying here in Bespin, we can finally go out and have some fun."

_Yeah, and I can finally take a break from dealing with Ice Princess 24/7, _Han Solo thought to himself as he breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what's the most popular watering hole here in Bespin?" Han asked Lando.

"Ever heard of this lounge called _Stairway to Heaven? _Let's all go there tonight!" Lando suggested. _Stairway to Heaven _was the most popular hang out in Bespin for rebels and its citizens alike. Aside from being able to eat out, people could go there and dance and sing all night to their hearts' content. And check out the pretty girls in the party scene, as with the case of the men.

"Of course! I've heard about it!" Luke exclaimed. "I would love to go there."

"So do I," Han said under his breath.

"Let's all go out now, men!" Lando exclaimed happily. The three of them headed out for the exit. As they went out, Han spotted Leia, who was alone and probably waiting for a cab to take her home back to the apartelle. "Your highness!" Han called out to her. Leia turned her head towards Han and approached him. "Are you going home?" he asked her. _Maybe I can convince her to eat dinner with us. I know she doesn't feel that angry anymore towards me._

"Yes. I'm just waiting for a taxicab because I plan to go home early tonight." Leia replied smilingly.

"We'll be eating dinner at _Stairway to Heaven. _Would you like to come with us?" Luke asked.

Leia thought about the offer for a moment before she made up her mind. _I feel a bit embarassed about hanging out in the company of Han at such an hour. _It was not in her nature to go out at night and spend hours in noisy places like lounges and bars, save for important occassions like royal balls. Being a prominent political figure, she didn't want people to think of her as a wild party girl. "Thanks for the offer, Luke, but I'd rather stay at home and have a good rest," she said, declining the offer.

"Okay, if that is what you want," Lando said to her. "Let's go!"

"Goodbye your highness!" Luke waved at Leia.

The men waited as Han hailed a cab. Soon, a cab stopped in front of them. Leia watched wistfully as the three went inside before the speeder cab zoomed off. It wasn't long before Leia found her own ride to take her home.

Looking out the window during the car ride, Leia thought to herself, _I won't be missing Han's presence tonight. At last, I can finally experience some peace and quiet._

"Man, this is the coolest place here in Bespin! I love it in here!" Han exclaimed as he, Luke and Lando toasted their wine glasses. After arriving at _Stairway to Heaven, _they proceeded to eat dinner at the restaurant section of the lounge. Upstairs were the sing-along rooms, where groups could sing in private, and a large dance hall, which was situated at the topmost portion of the building.

"After eating dinner, what do we plan to do?" Luke asked. "Go dancing or sing along?"

"Forget the sing along sessions, I'm not a good singer!" Han said jokingly.

"Admit it, Han. You wouldn't want to dedicate a love song to Her Royal Highness, eh?" Lando teased him. He stood up and reached for a wine bottle, while he said, his voice in a romantic tone, "I dedicate this song to Princess Leia Organa! I love you babe! Mwah!" Lando even pursed his lips into a kiss. Luke laughed hysterically along with Lando. Lando sat down and did a high five with Luke.

"Haha. Very funny!" Han said mockingly and rolled his eyes.

"So, are you trying to get into her good graces?" Lando asked Han as he took a swig of whiskey. "I mean, if you and Leia are an item?"

_Where in the world did they have the connotation that we're a romantic couple? _Han thought. "Oh, come on, matey! Stop kidding me like that! I don't have any feelings for her!" Han replied. "Besides, she's not my type." Han cringed as he thought about Leia and her difficult attitude, and how he has to deal with this everyday. He sipped his wine glass, as if wanting to forget that he would be seeing her again later on as he goes home to the apartelle.

"Hoot! If I know, what comes out of your mouth is not how you really feel inside your heart!" Lando exclaimed.

"You love to tease her because you really like her!" Luke added with a naughty smile on his face.

"As the saying goes," Lando continued. "The more you hate, the more you love!" He and Luke blurted it out in unison, attuned to what the other one was thinking.

"Hey, I was about to say that!" exclaimed Luke. "Seems like we're in the same wavelength!"

Han was already annoyed to death at the topic of their discussion. "Can't we talk about other things, for a change? I had enough about her!"

"Alright, alright, change topic." Lando said. "Why don't we go upstairs and check out the dance hall?" he suggested.

"That would be a good idea," said Luke. The three stood up from their seats and went to make a beeline for the elevator, which would take them to the upper floor, to where the dance hall was located. As the elevator door opened, they stepped inside, along with other people. The elevator door closed and started to go upwards.

Luke took the time to tell Lando discreetly about how the other rebels in their group are secretly crushing on Leia. Out of Han's earshot, he whispered, "Captain Solo's one lucky guy. If he only knew, some of the other rebels are envious of him because he gets to share a house with Leia."

"You're right with that, Skywalker," Lando replied in a hushed tone. "He probably wasn't aware of the fact that Leia's a heartthrob with the other men in the Alliance. Just the other day, one guy told me that he'll give everything just to be in Han's place, so he could have Leia's attention all to himself."

"If he approaches Han for advice about how to get closer to her, he'll be telling him to forget his lifelong dream," said Luke.

"He'll be ranting about how Leia is a total bitch goddess," Lando whispered back.

Han's attention was drawn to the suspicious-looking conversation of Luke and Lando. "Are you talking about me again?" he asked, frowning. _When will these two ever stop? If they want, both of them could collaborate in writing a book entitled, "The Truth About Han and Leia: Are They Really Lovers?" That would be a big hit! Ack! _Han tried to brush away such a thought running through his mind. He looked at Lando and Luke for a long time, and soon, the guilty look on their faces gave them away.

"Hehe. Guess you were right," Luke said apologizingly.

"Don't you know that whispering in somebody's presence is a sign of untrustworthiness?" Han reprimanded both of them.

"Sorry, matey, we won't be doing this again," Lando muttered.

The elevator stopped moving. The door opened, and the three men stepped outside to be welcomed by the ear-splitting loudness of the music blaring from the dance hall.

"I'm tired of playing cards, Threepio. Why don't you help me find something to eat? I'm so hungry!" Leia complained to C3PO, the protocol droid. Back in the apartelle, Leia played four rounds of Crazy Eights with their droid companion out of boredom. Two hours had already passed, and Han hasn't gone home yet.

"Mistress Leia, the only food we have here is the food in the ref. Go take a look and find something to eat," Threepio replied in his droid accent. Leia stood up and took an exasperated breath as she went to the fridge. She opened the fridge door, and, to her dismay, found nothing that will satisfy her hunger, except for a jar of cookies, a pack of marshmallows, and a rectangular container written with the words _"This is mine! Do not eat!" _Leia recognized the handwriting as that of Han's. On impulse, she grabbed the container and placed it in the microwave oven. Closing the oven door, she turned a dial and waited for the food to be heated. _So what if that belongs to Han?_ Leia thought. _I'm really hungry! _She felt regretful at declining Luke's offer to eat with them. _Maybe I should have tagged along with them instead of choosing to stay here at home, even if I know that Han would tease me all night._

As the food was finished being heated, Leia took it out of the microwave oven and brought it to the table.

"So, found something to eat, your highness?" Threepio asked her.

"Yes, thankfully," Leia said with a smile. She removed the top of the container and was delighted to find out that it contained white pasta. _Yum! Now I can have a good dinner. _She stood up again and went to the fridge, and took out the jar of cookies, along with a bottle of water. Leia returned to her seat and proceeded to enjoy her dinner.

After she ate, Leia fixed the table, brushed her teeth, and sat in the sofa. Threepio approached her and asked if he could go upstairs to visit Artoo, who was staying in Luke's pad. Luke also lived in the apartelle where Han and Leia were living, and was only three floors up from them.

"Mistress Leia, can I visit Artoo, my good friend?" Threepio asked.

Leia gave her consent. "Sure you may." With that, Threepio walked towards the door and waved goodbye at Leia before the door closed.

_Oh great, now I'm all by myself here, _Leia thought. She saw the remote control lying in the center table, and thought that she could find something to watch on the telly. She reached for the remote control and, with a press of a button, the telly turned open.

For the next few minutes, Leia fumbled around with the different television channels and found no show that caught her interest. All she saw was an action show, a game show, a variety show, and a weepy drama series involving two lovers named Leina and Hans. Shocked at how the characters' names resembled her and Han's name, Leia got curious about the story and watched the said drama for one hour. The story was all about a rich girl named Leina who fell in love with a space pirate named Hans. The girl's family opposed their relationship, and because of this, Leina eloped with Hans. Later on, Hans found out that Leina was infected with a life-threatening disease, and before long, the show ended with Leina dying in the arms of Hans, saying, _"I'll meet you in heaven. And I'll always love you", _before she breathed her last. As Leia watched the actor who played Hans cry over the death of his lover, she didn't realized that she was moved to tears with this poignant scene. She only knew that she was actually crying when she felt her tears slide down her cheeks. Surprised with the way she was touched by that scenario, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief she found inside her pocket, and when the show was over, Leia turned off the telly.

_I can't believe I cried over that, _Leia thought to herself. Exhausted, she lay down on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow. _But anyway, there's nothing wrong in being mushy from time to time, _she assured herself. _But of all names, why does Leina and Hans has to sound like... Leia and Han? Oh, forget it! _she told herself as Leia tried to brush away the thought. _You're being carried away by a silly melodrama. _

Her thoughts drifted further. _I wonder what they are doing now? Maybe Han is checking out the girls in the bar, tall girls who have long blonde hair and big breasts, girls who wear skimpy clothes. Why do beautiful, but brainless girls easily carry men away? _

Leia turned to her side. _Sometimes, I wonder if I am beautiful enough. There are times when I wish that I would be taller, my hair would be blonde, and I would be incredibly sexy. Maybe finding a boyfriend for me would be easier if I was born that way. _She thought about Han kissing a sexy, seductive blondie he just met, and felt her heart ache at the thought. _Why can't he see me in a new light? Not just a comrade that he treats as if I'm his little sister, but as a grown woman? _She realized that she felt jealous about Han turning his attention on other women. Leia tried to deny about what she felt by thinking, _but there's no reason for me to feel this way. Who am I in his life, anyway? And who am I to seek for his special attention on me? We're both nothing to each other!_

She felt her heart ache even more and tried to fall asleep, which came easily for her. By the stroke of midnight, the door creaked open, and Han was surprised to find Leia asleep on the sofa. _She waited for me all night? _Han asked himself. _Maybe I shouldn't wake her up. _Han hurriedly went to her bedroom and grabbed a folded blanket. Then he spread the blanket and draped it over Leia, doing his best not to stir her awake. Han felt touched with her gesture, and at the same time, hurt with the fact that he didn't even thought about her, whether she had already eaten dinner or not. _She waited in vain for me while I was out there in that bar, kissing a girl I've just met. _

**A/N: **Are Han and Leia slowly developing feelings for each other? How long will they continue to take each other for granted and fight with each other all the time? Find out in the next chapters to come! Send me your reviews please! Thanks for taking the time to read my story!


	5. When You Smiled at Me

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**RATING: **K

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**DISCLAIMER: **Star Wars and its copyright belong to the one and only George Lucas. I'm not trying to make money out of this, I just want to share my talent with other H/L fans and I hope I can make them happy just by reading this story.

**SUMMARY: **Han ponders about what Leia was thinking about him when she smiled at him that morning.

CHAPTER V- When You Smiled At Me 

Through her closed eyes, Leia felt a ray of sunlight streaming through the window and shining down on her. She realized that morning had come. Carefully, she opened her eyes and become aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep on the sofa last night while she waited for Han to come home. Han had been with Luke and Lando all night at this place downtown called _Stairway to Heaven, _which was a bar and lounge. The three of them spent the entire night there eating and merry-making.

"Good morning, Your Highness. How was your sleep last night?"

Leia pushed away the blanket draped over her and sat up on the sofa. From the corner of the room, she saw Han smiling at her as he asked her that question. Han looked like he just stepped out of the shower, what with his hair still damp and his clothes looking fresh and crisp. She inhaled deeply and caught a whiff of his aftershave lingering in the air. _Gosh, he smells so handsome today, _Leia thought, and instantly felt attracted to how he looked that morning. But she tried to conceal how she felt towards him at that point in time; for fear that he might notice that she was slowly gravitating to him.

"Oh, good morning, Captain," Leia replied with a smile. The truth is, she was at a lost for words on how to react to Han's gesture when she realized that as she slept last night, Han draped a blanket over her. _Did he care for me after all? Or did he do it out of pity? He must have thought I looked so pathetic as I tried to stay up all night just to wait for him and ended up falling asleep instead. _"Oh, thanks for your concern", she added. "I slept well last night."

Han walked to the living room and sat down on the armchair next to the sofa. "That's good, because you look like as if you're going to get sick these days. I never thought that you sleeping on the sofa would be beneficial to your health," he joked, complete with his mischievous grin plastered on his face.

_Here we go again with our daily tirade. _Leia tried to suppress her growing feelings of annoyance over Han's comment and pretended to ride along with his smart-alecky statement. "Yes, sleeping on the sofa made me feel better," Leia stated while she raised an eyebrow at Han. Han looked blown away with her reply and couldn't think of a word to her rebut. She was amused with the priceless look on Han's face, so she added some more. "You were right, you know, when you told me that I've been looking sick these past few days. When I woke up today, I don't feel so sick anymore when I looked at your face," she said haughtily, while trying to look like she meant it. _Don't you dare ruin my day, Captain Han Solo! Now I know how to fight back! _

Those words hit Han right through the heart. _She's really a bitch goddess. As if I myself don't feel sick of having to see her Medusa-like face everyday. _He admitted to himself that he was offended, but tried to forget it. Instead, he gently tapped Leia on the shoulder playfully. "Good for you, Princess!" he exclaimed.

Leia glared at him with a look that says, _Stop treating me like a kid! _Han caught her glaring at him. He looked into her squinting eyes of hers, and got her point. _I totally forgot, you're now a grown woman. But you still act like a whiny schoolgirl. _Embarrassed at how he treated her as if she was his little sister, Han changed the topic of their conversation. He grew silent for a while. Then he remembered that a while ago, he cooked four pieces of pancakes for breakfast and spared Leia the other two, just in case she doesn't know how to cook her own food. _Princesses don't cook, right?_

"Oh, by the way, Your Worship," Han said while he groped for the right words to say. _Maybe this will ease her annoyance over me. _"Breakfast is on the table. I cooked two pieces of pancakes for you complete with maple syrup." A moment of dead silence filled the air. Leia didn't know how to react with Han actually cooking breakfast for her. _Maybe he thought that I didn't eat dinner last night, so this is probably his way of making up for it. _

Han, meanwhile, looked at her and waited for her reaction. _I'm doing my best to be nice to you, and I hope you appreciated my efforts. _

It wasn't long before Leia spoke up. Her face lightened up, and with a weak smile, she thanked him. "Oh... thanks," she said. Han watched her stood up and went to the sink to brush her teeth. She had her back turned on him, and felt that he was still there. She turned her head. "Aren't you going to leave?" she asked him. "By the way," she added, "tell the other generals that I will be late in coming to the Rebel Headquarters."

Han smiled. "Of course, I will." He looked at the time and said, "I have to go now." He stood up from his seat and walked carefully towards the door. He looked at Leia for the last time before leaving, just to make sure that she'll be okay by herself. Han lingered for a while outside the door and watched her sat at the dining table, about to start her breakfast. He smiled to himself, thinking, _I was touched when I found out that you actually waited for me all night. _He remembered having arrived home the night before and saw Leia asleep on the sofa, looking exhausted at having to wait for him to come home. _Maybe she missed me. _He thought of this and felt the urge to ask her, to confirm that he was right with what he was thinking of.

"Your highness, why are you still wearing the clothes you wore yesterday?"

Leia, who was engrossed with eating her breakfast meal, turned to her side towards the direction of Han's voice, and was surprised to see that he was still standing there. She also realized that she didn't bothered to change into her nightclothes. She looked at him, and his eyes met hers. Leia saw the hesitation in his eyes, the wanting look of his dying to ask her if she _did _waited for him.

"Err..." Han started off hesitatingly. "Mind if I ask you this? Did you really stayed up all night and--?"

Before long, Leia cut him off and finally revealed to him what he wanted to know.

"Whatever you were thinking of, it's true. I _did _wait for you." She smiled again, but this time, it was a different kind of smile she had on her lips. It was that sweet, once-in-a-blue-moon smile, the kind of smile that Han saw when he gave her a popsicle the other day.

"Go now. The others are waiting for you." Han looked at her again, and felt elated that she was still smiling at him. Han smiled back without saying a word and closed the door.

As he walked along the corridors of the apartelle building, Han thought about how Leia smiled at him. It was the kind of smile that he couldn't get out of his mind. Han was positive that he might actually be seeing an angel instead of Medusa.

_Who would have thought that Leia Organa had an angelic side beneath her ice queen facade? _Han asked himself. _Maybe her smile meant two things; that she was thankful that I appreciated her waiting for me, or deep inside, she's probably thankful that I finally had to go and won't be in her sight again for the rest of the morning? Something like, "Thank goodness, I won't be seeing that nerf herder again!" Hahaha!_

Han laughed at the thought and breathed a sigh of relief. _Maybe Leia is a different person from what I thought she is. She can be mean and unpredictable at times, and yet, surprisingly sweet and charming at the same time. _Han stopped himself from getting lost in his thoughts. _Wait a minute! Could it be that..._

He tried to brush the thought off his mind, but the more he did, the more he felt the need to admit this to himself, to find out what was truly inside his heart. _ I think I'm beginning to like you, Princess. But please don't make me fall so hard with that elusive smile of yours. _

**A/N: **Oh, the power of one's smile! Looks like Han is starting to fall for Leia! ;) Stay tuned! Pls. review!


	6. Carousel Ride

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**RATING: **K

**GENRE: **Romance/Humor

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Star Wars. Luke chasing Leia around the carousel was a borrowed scene from a Korean drama series, and inspired by it.

**SUMMARY: **Some brother-sister bonding between Luke and Leia. A carousel ride brought back sad memories of Leia and her father. (At this point in the story, Leia and Luke still haven't got a clue about their progeny.)

CHAPTER VI-Carousel Ride 

Work at the Rebel Headquarters that day was only until three in the afternoon. The rebel generals met up and discussed their plans for Hoth. The military supplies needed were already sent there.

As the meeting was adjourned, Leia planned to go home by herself and not wait for Han. _Maybe he'll go to that bar again and spend the rest of the day there drinking and girl-watching with Lando, _she thought. _Girl-watching. _Those two words stuck in Leia's mind and she found it hard to erase it. Again, she felt her heart ache without knowing why. _Why do I have to feel this way every time I think of him liking other girls? Am I liking him already? _Herthinking of the possibility that she might actually like Han was too much for her to take seriously. _And what would I expect from him if I did like him? He'll probably trip out on me, _Leia thought and shook her head with angst and remorse. She didn't like people who'd played around with her feelings.

"Your highness, can I go with you?" Leia heard a voice from behind her and immediately recognized it as Luke's. She turned her head, and indeed, it was Luke. Luke caught up with her as she walked and tried to keep up with her pace.

Leia smiled at him and felt relieved that she'll be having some company. "Sure, why not?" she replied. She thought about eating out with Luke, and with this thought in mind, she tried asking him to eat out with her. "Luke," she started off, "Want to go somewhere else?"

Luke smiled and got her point. "You mean, to have snack with you?" Luke felt surprised that _her highness _was actually asking him to hang out with her. Despite Han's stories about Leia and her difficult attitude, he thought that it wouldn't be so bad to eat out with her. _Maybe_

_she's really kind, once I get to know her better._ Luke nodded his head in agreement and said, "Okay. That would be nice."

They headed off towards the distance, their voices echoing down the empty hallway and sounding fainter. "Where would you like to eat, your highness?"

"Anywhere you like. And I hope you'll allow me to pay for the bill..."

Later on, Luke and Leia were sitting face-to-face with each other while they enjoyed their snack of ice-cream sundaes and triple-decker sandwiches at a snack bar nearby. "Ummm..." Leia mumbled in between chews. "This sandwich tastes really good. How did you know this place?" she asked Luke.

"During the first month here at Hoth, I used to go here by myself and eat. Then I realized that it feels so sad to be eating by myself all the time, so I decided to take you here."

Leia felt touched with what he said. "Thanks." she said gratefully. _I really liked being with you, Luke, _she thought. She felt like saying that right then and there, but did not do so; for fear that Luke might take it the wrong way. So she did not speak anymore, and continued on with her meal. At one point, Leia happened to gaze into Luke's eyes. Despite his happy demeanor, there was a tinge of loneliness in it; it was the same thing that she saw in her own eyes that morning when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror: the sorrow of losing a family and being alone in the world. _Is he alone too? I can see myself in him. _Leia felt her heart reaching out to him, her eyes starting to mist.

Luke probably noticed that she was on the brink of tears. He lifted up his head. "Your highness, are you okay?" he asked.

Leia was startled. She looked away from him and discreetly wiped the tears on her eyelashes. "Oh..." she trailed off. "I'm alright," she smiled faintly.

He looked deeply into her eyes. "You seem to be sad. Is there something bothering you?"

"No. Nothing," Leia denied.

A waiter approached them and gave them the bill. Leia took out her wallet and placed a bill on the rectangular platter before the waiter went away. Finished with their meal, Luke and Leia stood up and went towards the exit.

"Luke, what are we doing here? I'm too old for this kind of thing!" Leia exclaimed, embarrassed. They stood outside the entrance of an indoor amusement park, and watched at the people of all ages going in and out. There were all sorts of rides and games to be found inside. The smells of popcorn lingered in the air, while cheesy novelty music blared from the sound system. Both walked around downtown after eating, and it was Luke's idea to bring Leia here. _I noticed that you looked so sad, so to lift up your spirits, I'd decided to bring you here. _

"It's okay," Luke assured her. "You're not _that _old yet. People go here all the time. See that couple over there?" He pointed towards a man and a woman together, who looked liked they're in their mid-twenties. "Forget about your age and have fun!"

Leia laughed. "We might be mistaken for lovers," she joked.

"Do we look like one?" Both laughed. "Oh, yeah, Han might get jealous if he finds out that I'm with you today."

"Aw, don't mind him." _Why would Han get jealous? Anyway, I'm starting to like the idea of being in here. Luke's right. I should have a little fun sometimes. _Smiling, she took his hand and headed to the entrance gate. "Let's go!" she said.

"I told you, you'll like being here," Luke replied.

They spent the next three hours going around the park and playing the different games in the arcade. When they grew tired of the arcade games, they rode the different stomach-churning rides like the roller coaster and shouted their lungs out. After the roller-coaster ride, Luke felt sick and had to rest for a while.

"Want to ride some more on the coaster?" Leia asked him.

"Not anymore! I feel so sick," Luke said as he massaged his forehead. "I can't believe you had a high tolerance for that roller-coaster ride."

"Oh, I'm used to space traveling in dizzying air ships," Leia replied matter-of-factly. "By the way, are you okay?" she asked Luke, concerned.

"I'll be fine, your highness."

Leia frowned at him. "Stop calling me like that. It makes me feel uncomfortable." _Can't I forget even just for a moment that I'm Princess Leia Organa and be free to act as myself?_ "Feel at home to call me by my real name," she added.

"Well, if you say so, Your... I mean... Leia." Luke breathed a sigh of relief, appreciative at the fact that Leia was actually humble enough to go out of her limits as a member of an aristocratic family.

"That sounds better," she said, smiling. Leia shifted her sights and saw the slow-moving carousel. "Oh, I want to go there!" She dragged Luke by the hand and went towards it. When they got there, Luke told her that he won't be riding the carousel with her, and he'll just watch her while she takes the ride.

"It's okay if I'll ride it by myself," she told Luke. "Just wave at me when you see me!" She walked away from Luke and fell in line for the ride. When she was finally there and the carousel started moving, Luke watched from a distance and waved at Leia whenever he would catch a glimpse of her, while she would wave back at him. When the carousel started to spin a bit faster, Luke was well enough to run around it along with its fast motion, at the same time, not keeping his eyes away from Leia as he chased her around the carousel.

"Luke!" Leia shouted laughingly while she waved at him. "Luke!"

Luke could see the wide smile on her face as he chased her along with the motion of the carousel. _She probably never had the time to feel free and to enjoy herself for a very long time. Until now, _he thought. "Princess!" he shouted back. "Enjoying the ride, huh?" he asked while he kept on running.

"I told you, stop calling me like that!"

"I forgot!" Luke said. He waved back at her energetically and shouted out her name. "Leia!"

Leia smiled back at Luke and savored the last remaining moments of the carousel ride. As she waved at Luke while he called out her name, Leia remembered a memory from a distant past, which was nostalgic and yet too painful at the same time...

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"_Daddy! Daddy!"_

_A brown-haired pigtailed girl of about seven years old shouted lovingly to her father as he chased her around while she enjoyed the carousel ride. Even with the swift motion of the carousel, he never took his eyes off her. _

"_Sweetie!" her father called out. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, huh?" He waved at her and gave her a wink. _

"_Yes I do! I love it here! Thanks for bringing me to this park!" she called out. She had never felt this happy before since the day her mother died. She waved her hand furiously at her father. "Dad, I love you!" she screamed, even though the melody of the carousel ride drowned out her voice. _

"_Leia! I love you too, sweetie!" her father replied, shouting. Even with his voice sounding hoarse from all the screaming, she could feel in her heart that he meant it. _

"_I love you dad!"_

"_I love you Leia!"_

_I love you..._

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She traveled back in time, back to her beloved memories, but time could never bring them back again to her. And like all things, this, too, must come to an end, just like this carousel ride.

The carousel grew slower and slower, and when it came to a full stop, the people started filing out. Luke waved at Leia and motioned her to come down, but Leia just looked back at him with sad, teary eyes. Her joyous mood suddenly became melancholy. Luke went up to her and helped her down. He took her hand in his and she hopped down on her ride.

They walked around the park once more, and Luke couldn't help but feel worried about Leia. _Why did she become so sad all of a sudden? _He turned his head and looked at her carefully. Leia had her eyes averted towards the distance, lost in her thoughts, her eyes wet with tears. _Did that carousel ride made her remember a sad memory that was so dear to her?_

Leia felt the weight of his gaze on her. She wiped her eyes, then turned her head and looked at him. "Did you see me crying?" she asked Luke, her voice trembling.

Luke just smiled at her. "Well...yes. If you felt like crying when you were in the carousel, it's okay. Sometimes, you just need to let the waterworks flow."

"I feel so embarrassed to be crying in front of you," Leia said shyly.

"It doesn't matter," Luke replied with a sheepish grin. "I hope you won't mind if I say this to you," he started, as both sat down on a bench beside a popcorn stand, "but I've noticed that you looked so sad since we ate at the snack bar a while ago."

"The truth is, even if I seemed so busy with the Rebellion, I still can't get over the death of my father. When I was riding the carousel, I remembered that when I was a child, my dad used to take me to this theme park in Alderaan. I would ride a carousel, and my dad would chase it around while I waved back at him." Leia felt her eyes mist again while she told Luke about that distant childhood memory, but she gulped hard and tried not to burst into tears again.

_I didn't know that what I did made Leia remind her of her father, _Luke thought, feeling a bit ashamed that he was part of the reason why Leia cried. "Oh..." he mumbled. "Sorry for that. I shouldn't have chased you around if I reminded you of your father," he said apologetically.

She shook her head smilingly. "No, you don't have to say sorry. The feeling just came over me."

"I understand how you feel, because I, too, lost my family." Luke felt a rush of sorrow in his heart and remembered seeing his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru lying lifeless on the ground upon going home to find that they were killed, by order of the Dark Lord. "Before I and Han rescued you in the Death Star, I went home and found my aunt and uncle lying dead on the ground after they were killed by Storm Troopers," he narrated, as Leia went closer to him and listened intently to his story. "Everything happened so fast, I didn't even have time to mourn for them. So I guess, now's the time. But even if I feel like crying, my eyes had run out of tears."

"At least you'll be mourning with me," Leia said soothingly. _Here we are, two lonely people mourning over the lost of one's family. Misery does love company. _"I'm curious, don't you have your mother and father with you?" she suddenly asked.

"I don't know anything about my father, and all I know about my mother is that she died in childbirth. I don't even remember anything about her, nor do I know about my true lineage."

Leia's eyes widened at what she heard. "You're adopted too?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," affirmed Luke. "Aren't you?" Leia nodded her head.

"How did you found out that you were adopted?" Luke asked, his curiosity growing stronger at how much he and Leia had so much in common.

"My mother told me about it, three days before my seventh birthday. She said my real mother also died in childbirth, while nothing was said about who my biological father really was."

"Did you feel sad at all when you found out the truth?"

"Yes, of course. But even before, I kind of knew it in my heart, because I noticed that I don't look like my father or mother at all. I would ask myself why my skin was whiter than my dad's, or why my eyes were bigger than my mother's eyes."

"So, it became pretty obvious to you?"

"Yes. Some people would even ask my mother, "Why is your daughter prettier than you? Is she really your daughter?" Leia remembered about it and laughed slightly. She became silent for a while, and then asked Luke. "What about you? Did your aunt tell you that you were adopted?"

"She told me all about it on my seventh birthday. Just like the way your mom did."

Leia grew curious and felt the strong urge to ask about Luke's birth date. _We might even share the same birthday. _"Luke, when is your birthday?" she asked.

"The eighth day of the seventh month. Why?"

The uncanny resemblance between their lives was too glaring not to be noticed. _Why is it that we have the same fate? _"That's my birth date too!" Leia exclaimed. "I was also born on the eighth day of the seventh month!" _And now, we share the same birthdays. Is there something I need to know? Did my father forgot to tell me something?_

"This is amazing," Luke declared in wonder. "It's like we share the same pattern of life."

"I can't believe this," Leia whispered in amazement.

"Don't you feel sad every time you celebrate your birthday?" Luke asked her. "Because during that time of the year, every year, I would mourn for the death of my mother." He remembered retreating off to a corner every birthday night and sob quietly with the fact that his mother also died the day he was born.

"I lost my mother two times on my birthday." Leia felt again the tug of sorrow in her heart.

"First, my real mother died when she gave birth to me, and second, my adoptive mother was ambushed by the Emperor's Red Guards during a space trip. She just came from a conference from another planet and was about to go home in time for the celebration of my seventh birthday when that happened. Instead of having a party, a funeral was held in our home." Leia could still recall the somber mood in the Alderaanian palace, people lining up in droves to pay their final respects to Senator Organa's deceased wife, and Leia, then seven years old, crying hysterically over the lost of her adoptive mother...

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"_Dad, I hate them!" the little girl dressed in black screamed in agony as she cried on her father's shoulder. "Why do they have to kill my mom? Why?" With that, she burst into hysterical sobs._

"_We don't know what are their reasons for doing that," Bail Organa told his daughter in between tears, "But what we know, your mother risked her life to bring peace back to this galaxy. She didn't die a meaningless death after all."_

"_But she'll never come back! I don't have my real mother with me, and now, my other mom is dead! I don't have a mother anymore!" She buried her head deeper on her father's shoulder as he stroked her head, trying to calm her down._

"_Leia, even if you don't have a mother, I'll always be here for you. And you'll never have to feel alone."_

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"I remember my father telling me that," Leia continued her story to Luke. "He said that he'll always be there for me, and I don't have to feel alone. But now..." She stopped speaking, and can't help herself but to cry. Her voice was choked with sorrow, and soon felt a tear rolling down on her cheek. Leia lowered her head and tried not to let Luke show that she was crying. She felt Luke's hand stroking her head and she allowed him to let her rest her head on his shoulder. This time, she didn't feel the need to stop herself from crying, never mind that it was embarrassing for her to cry her eyes out while resting on the shoulder of a person she'd just come to know. For a moment, not a word was said between the two of them.

"Now, I'm an orphan again," Leia mumbled sadly. "I'm nobody's girl."

Luke took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tear-stained face. "Don't say that. You have friends in the Alliance, Captain Solo and me. We'll be your family."

Hearing Luke say that to her made her felt more at ease with him. Then she realized: _I don't have to feel alone, after all. I do have some company. _Leia was rest assured that she was not alone in life, after all. She has Luke, whom she considered as a confidante, and Han, who'd been sent to her to drive her life crazy with his out-of-this-world antics and humor. _Maybe Han came into my life to help me ease my sorrow and to make me forget by thinking how I hated being with him all the time, _she thought jokingly. She laughed at the thought, and smiled faintly at Luke. "Thank you," she whispered, "for being there for me."

Luke smiled back at her. "You're always welcome, Leia," he replied.

**A/N: **No romantic connotations between Luke and Leia here! Just some gesture of brotherly love, unknowingly. I don't know the calendar system in the _Star Wars _universe, so I used numbers to refer to the months of the year. And I'm sure that they don't have horses on their carousel.

Mini Survey: Just a thought, dear readers: do you think Leia might have felt something for Luke before she found out that he was her twin brother? Send me your answers along with your reviews! Thanks for dropping by to read my story! Again, stay tuned for more chapters to come!


	7. Jealous

TITLE: "My Sassy Princess" 

**AUTHOR: Maiden of Endor**

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Star Wars.

**SUMMARY: **Han is jealous when he finds out that Leia spent the day with Luke.

CHAPTER VII-Jealous 

Han had been walking around back and forth in the living room out of boredom. Three hours had already passed, and still, Leia was not yet home. _Where could she be? _Han wondered. _It's not like her to stay out for a long time after the Alliance meetings. I'm sure she won't be going to Stairway to Heaven, because that's the least likely place that she'll go to. _He sat down on the sofa, tired from doing such a monotonous activity, and tried to think further about what Leia could be doing outside. _If she did went to Stairway to Heaven, who's she with right now? _Then the thought of Leia getting abducted by Storm Troopers suddenly crossed his mind. _Or what if Storm Troopers kidnapped her? _Han shook his head furiously and tried to brush away such a thought, when the door creaked open. Han lifted up his head and, much to his surprise, found _her _standing outside and waving her hand at _somebody. _

"Thanks for the time, Luke. See you tomorrow." Han heard Leia say as she waved her hand goodbye. Han looked closely and saw Luke Skywalker behind her, who was about to go upstairs to his own pad. Luke waved back at her before he retreated.

The moment Leia entered the room, Han looked at her suspiciously. Leia could feel his eyes drilling right into her very being, and sensed that he wasn't very happy to see her. _Why is he looking so worried, and so fuming mad at the same time? _She thought.

"Your highness," Han started with a tone of superiority in his voice. "Where have you been?" he asked.

Leia tried to think of an excuse to say to him, when Han spoke again. "Don't you know that you shouldn't spend your time outside at this hour? You should have been home by now!" he exclaimed.

The tension was too much for her to bear. _Why is he acting this way towards me? Is he worried about me, or does he still thinks I'm a child that should be home at about six in the evening? _ "And why should I be home early?" she asked Han. "Why the big fuss about me going home late?" she added.

"Because... because..." Han couldn't think of a reply to her question. He breathed heavily, and finally blurted out what he wanted to say. "Because I feared that Storm Troopers kidnapped you! What if they _did _abducted you, and you will never be able to go home alive?"

Leia shoved him away as she sat down on the armchair. She felt sarcastically amused at what she had just heard. _Storm Troopers kidnapping me here in Cloud City? How funny! _"And since when did you start to worry about me, Captain Solo?" she asked, looking up at Han from where she sat. "Isn't it that you like it so much when you have the whole house to yourself, don't you?"

_Oh yes, I do, _Han thought back. He pulled Leia up from her seat, forcing her to stand up to him. Leia was obviously offended at what he did. She stared up at Han and looked straight into his eyes, glaring. Han was silenced and glared back at her before he could finally think of a rebuff to her statement. "Admit it. You like it very much whenever you spend your time with Luke, isn't it?"

"And what if I told you yes?" Leia shot back, now inching further away from him. Then he heard her say the words he didn't want her to say. "You're jealous of him, aren't you?"

Han looked like as if a cold bucket of water had been splashed on his face. _Jealous. I didn't know this was what I'm feeling right now, _he thought. But he tried to deny it to himself, saying, "Why would I be jealous of him? Am I your boyfriend?"

"Oh I forgot!" Leia exclaimed mockingly. "Why did I ask you that question, anyway? I'm nothing to you in your life!" she cried out. "Stop acting as if you have the power to dominate me, because the truth is, we're totally nothing to each other! I'm twenty-two years old, I can go out as late as I want to, and I can hang out with the people I want to be with! And that includes Luke!" She lowered her voice and continued, "I can even choose him to be my boyfriend, if I want to. In fact, I like him better than you, because he's nicer to me! I'd choose him over you anytime!" With that, Leia stormed off angrily to her room and banged the door shut. Han, outraged at what she did, ran up to her bedroom door and knocked on it noisily.

"Leia, you bitch, go out there and talk to me! I'm not finished with you yet!" Han shouted while he knocked at the same time. _How dare could she walk out on me! _His patience was all gone, and before he could lash out another insulting word at her, which he felt like doing some more, the door suddenly opened.

Leia looked at him, offended, and exclaimed, "Stop acting as if you're my mother, you asshole!" before she banged the door in his face.

For a long time, Han stood outside her bedroom door, speechless, and felt guilty for how he acted towards her. Inside the room, Leia sat on the foot of her bed and felt the same way too. _I felt offended when you cussed at me like that._ She recalled how she used to have "princess lessons", and remembered it all too clearly: "_Rule # 5: A princess behaves properly and doesn't speaks bad words, no matter how angry or annoyed she feels." If my teacher was here right now, she would have slapped me on the face so hard after breaking a rule in the book, _she thought. _But who cares? I'm so tired of having to act like the perfect princess all the time! Why can't I be free to be me? _Leia felt her anguish slowly eating her up. Then she thought of what Han said. _I was worried you were kidnapped. _It made her smile a little bit, thinking, _He was concerned about me, after all. I should have not taken it the wrong way. _Even if she was still angry over Han calling her an insulting word, she felt the need to forgive him for what he had done. _You cared for me, after all, so I forgive you for what you have done._

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Han tried to think about what he had done to Leia. _Sorry, princess, for calling you a bitch, even if you are that way most of the time, _he thought. His anger had died down, and was replaced by a feeling of remorse. _I shouldn't have said it to you right in your face. _

He thought about whether he really felt jealous over Leia being with Luke. For such a long time, he had grown accustomed to being with her that he just can't imagine Leia being in the company of another man. _But all we do whenever we're together is fight, and then make up, and then fight again. I can't blame you if you like Luke better than me. You were right. I'm an asshole. _At that moment, Han resolved to himself to be kinder to Leia, and to treat her better. _It's not yet too late to change. I'll do my best to give you the treatment you deserved, fit for a princess like you. _Then he added, _maybe we can be more than how we ought to be. Who says we can't be lovers?_

Thinking about this made Han smile for a little while. But he thought about Luke again, and felt a pang of aching in his heart. His jumbled mind cleared up, and soon realized what that painful sensation deep inside of him was actually called:

_Jealousy. _

**A/N: ** One very angst-filled chapter, isn't it? Sorry for the bad words, as I have to add it to the story to bring out how Han and Leia really felt for each other, as their anger is going past the brim. I'm not sure if Leia is 22 years old, so please don't sue me if I got it all wrong! Writing this chapter is a good way for me to release my tension over my recent midterm exams, of which I feel so harrowed about! (Don't worry, it's all over! Yipee!) Oh yeah, please review! Thanks:)


	8. Why him?

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars; just using the characters and situations depicted in the movie for a bit of fun. Stanza from the song "Do You Think I'm Sexy" belongs to Rod Stewart.

**SUMMARY: **Han and Leia are becoming more aware of their feelings for each other. Leia's eyebrow mishap almost led Han to kissing her while he placed the band-aid on her eyebrow.

(Read about Han doing a strip dance in this chapter!)

CHAPTER VIII- "Why him?" 

After the fight they had last night, the next day came. Until then, Leia and Han weren't still on speaking terms with each other. Both could feel the tension during breakfast time, when they would only talk to each other when one was asking the other to pass the container of sugar or the bottle of maple syrup. Beyond that, no more trivial conversations were held.

Han couldn't take anymore not to let the day pass without having a good talk with Leia, so to make matters better, he decided to start the reconciliation with himself. _It's now time for me to make the first move with her, _he thought.

He decided to ask her about what she did with Luke the other day. As he passed by her room, he saw that the door was ajar. He caught a glimpse of Leia sitting by her vanity table, her long hair spread out. She was in intense concentration in cutting the tips of her hair with a pair of scissors. _So, she's cutting out her split ends, _Han thought humorously. _Maybe she should have her hair shaved, after all. _He chuckled a little to himself and stood by her bedroom door. Leia didn't notice his presence until she heard his voice from behind her.

"If I were you, Princess, I'd have my hair relaxed." She turned her head and saw Han standing at her door, smiling at her. She still can't get over what had happened last night, so she just stared at him blankly and continued with cutting her split ends. _Get out of my sight, won't you, _she thought. But even in the mirror, she could still see his reflection. And to make matters worse, he entered her room and sat at the edge of her bed.

_Come on, talk to me. _Han felt that his efforts were about to go down the drain. It was no use trying to make it up with someone who doesn't feel the need to do so. A moment passed by. Han continued to watch her and soon after, she placed the scissors on top of the table. She pulled her hair up in a bun and reached for a blade. With that, she carefully reshaped her left eyebrow.

_Oh great, now she's fixing her eyebrows. She's probably making it thinner so that she could raise it more at me. _Han thought about her trademark eyebrow-raise, which she does whenever she's pissed off with him. He felt like asking her, _"are you making your brow thinner so you could raise it more at me?" _But then he remembered his vow to be nicer to Leia. He changed the channel of his mind, and soon came up with a much sensible question.

"Why do you women have to be so vain at everything, even with your eyebrows?" He smiled, thinking that it was already a less offensive question. But Leia took it the wrong way. _Who do you think you are to interfere with what I'm doing? _She stopped for a while and turned her head to Han. "For your information, it's none of your business to ask why women do the things we do," she replied snootily. She went on with reshaping her left eyebrow, and when she was over, she started shaving the right one.

"Why, what's wrong with asking you that question?" Han asked, looking aghast with what she said. "There's nothing bad with being curious. I'm just wondering with what you're doing."

Leia sighed heavily and thought of a reply to his question. _Okay, here's my answer, so you'll be shutting up your mouth, you nerf-herder. _"Women shave their eyebrows so the brows would look proportionate with the face," she said, not turning her head to Han. She thought of a witty tirade to make him quiet, and asked, "How come men like you don't shave their eyebrows?" she asked, smiling naughtily.

"Why would I? If I did, people would think I'm gay." Han looked embarrassingly amused with what he said. Then he added, "So, you probably think I'm a closet queen, huh?"

"Did I say anything like that?"

"Are you trying to insult my masculinity?" Han didn't like being insulted that way, and by a woman at that! _If only you knew, I've kissed about 25 girls in the Mos Eisley Cantina, and had a one-night stand with five of them, so there's no reason for you to think that I'm gay. _He felt like saying that right in her face, but thought, _I might offend you again. _So instead, he told her, "I'm a true-blue man one hundred percent. If you want, I can prove it to you." _Maybe you're starting to like my gorgeous self, aren't you? And you probably can't admit it to yourself. _With that in mind, Han stood up and started to do a sleazy strip dance.

"_If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy, come on sugar let me know_," Han sang while he gyrated his body naughtily. Leia, who was engrossed with shaving her right eyebrow, looked at him in the mirror, dumbfounded. Han enjoyed seeing the shocked looked on her face, so he continued to tease her more. He started to unbutton his polo shirt while he sang, "_If you really need me, just reach out and touch me, come on honey, tell me so_."

"Oh no, don't do that!" Leia exclaimed upon seeing Han unbuttoning his shirt and was on the verge of taking it off. Her hand was still holding the blade and lost control of her movements, so on impulse, she accidentally shaved her right eyebrow in the middle, and add to that, there was now a distinct cut above her right eye.

"OWWWWW!" Leia winced in pain as she dropped the blade on the table. She sat on the ground, her hand placed on her injured eyebrow.

Han immediately came to her rescue. "Princess! Are you okay?"

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Moments later, Leia sat in front of Han as he placed some ointment on her wound. "Stay still," he told her while he gently rubbed the ointment on her eyebrow area.

"Hey, that stings," she reprimanded him. "Try to be more gentle."

"Don't talk too much, will you?" He reached for a band-aid on the medicine box. He unwrapped the packaging before placing the band-aid above her right eye. "Don't move while I place this on you." As he did, Han can't help but notice how flawless and white her face looked, how her eyes were a perfect shade of brown, and how her lips looked so pink and soft. _Nice lips, princess, _he thought. His face was so close to hers, and became aware that his lips were only two inches away from hers. He felt like kissing her right then and there...

_Looking deep into her eyes..._

_He leaned his head towards her..._

_His lips were about to lock with hers..._

_Oh what a wonderful kiss would that be..._

"Han, hello, are you there?"

Han was brought back to his senses by the sound of Leia's voice. She was waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped back to reality. "Err..." he mumbled. _What was I thinking about? _he thought. _Why the idea of kissing her suddenly popped in my mind? _He tried to erase such a thought. For the first time, he felt something strange in his heart. Something he had never felt with any other woman. "You okay, Princess?" he asked, concerned.

"What do you mean I'm okay!" Leia exclaimed whiningly. "I'm not okay! This is your entire fault! If only you didn't do that strip-dance in my room, then maybe..." She stopped short for a while, on the brink of tears.

"What are you so disturbed about?" Han asked. "Are you ashamed of seeing me naked? Haven't you seen a naked man before?" _Oh yeah, she's not used to seeing me naked, after all. _Tension filled again the room. Han stood up and prepared to leave, and as he turned his back on Leia, he suddenly heard an ear-piercing wail coming from her. He looked at her again, and saw her crying and wailing like a little girl.

"AHUHUHUHUHU!" Han was flabbergasted at seeing Leia cry that way, her face looking like that of a whiny girl. "I hate you Han!" she cried out. "Why do you have to make me feel this way? Why are you ruining my life like this? AHUUUUUU!"

He just looked at her, dumbfounded with the way she was acting. _How childish of her to cry over her eyebrow. _"What are you crying about?" he asked her, annoyed. "Is it because of your stupid eyebrow? Or is it because of my strip dancing?"

"You don't have to do that just to let me notice you!" Leia exclaimed in between tears. Her whiny crying had died down a little, but her screaming voice was still deafening enough for Han. Han covered his ears while he could still hear her say, "Stop trying to get my attention, because I'm already starting to like you!"

_Did I hear that right? _Han removed his cupped hands over his ears. He looked at Leia quizzically. _What did she just say? Is she starting to like me? _"What did you said again?" he asked.

Leia couldn't believe she actually said that. _Why did those words suddenly came out of my mouth? Is this what I was feeling all along? _She was always poised, calm, and in control, but this time, she did say something she never imagined she would say. She tried to speak, but no word came out of her mouth.

Han continued asking her. "Did you really say that you're liking me?"

Leia felt like a total moron, what with her mouth dropped open, at a lost for words to say. Overwhelmed with her feelings of confusion, frustration, and guilt, she wanted to run away from it all, away from her feelings, from the reality that's starting to dawn on her. And away from _him. _

Leia stood up and headed for the door. As she did, she felt Han reached out for her. He grabbed her by the arm, and when he did, she felt electrocuted with his touch.

"Don't run away from me," he told her calmly. "We can talk about this."

"Forget what I said," she replied, and with that, she removed his hand on her arm and went off.

Han stood by as he watched her go. Until that time, he still couldn't forget what Leia had said. _I'm starting to like you! _He could hear her voice echo in his head. _Was she serious with what she said? _He felt sure that she was not kidding him when she did.

But there was one question hanging on his mind.

_Of all women, why does it have to be her?_

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Leia walked around the halls of the apartelle, trying to sort out her feelings. She caught her reflection on a hall mirror, her eyes red from all the crying, and that stupid band-aid plastered above her right eye made her feel worse. She looked at herself for a while, and then went on with her walk.

For the first time since she'd been with Han, she had become more aware of his presence. His touches seemed to electrocute her, and the way he stared at her made her felt like melting. She recalled that when he placed the band-aid on her eyebrow, his face was so close to her, and he looked like as if he wanted to kiss her, what with the way he spaced out as he looked at her dreamily.

_This can't be real, _she thought. All of a sudden, she was seeing Han in a new light. _I can't be feeling this way. _

It was something she wanted to feel in her heart for a very long time.

But one question was hanging in her mind.

_Of all men, why him?_

**A/N: **Looks like they hit it hard with each other! Is the love starting to begin? Find out! Please review! Han and the number of girls he kissed and one-night stand with, I made it all up. So don't sue me! Leia must have had a bit of whiny Ani (her real dad, a.k.a. Darth Vader) in her. Like father, like daughter.


	9. Officially Missing You

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCLAIMER: **You know the drill. Chapter title is a song by Tamia, and a line from the song "Do You Think I'm Sexy" is by Rod Stewart. I don't own these.

**SUMMARY: **Han will be leaving for Tatooine to settle his smuggling debts and will be out of Cloud City for five days. Now that Han is out of the house, will Leia be happy? Or will she realize that she was slowly developing feelings for him?

**CHAPTER IX-Officially Missing You **

Luke and Lando watched as Leia passed by them without even saying hello. Both could feel that she was not in a good mood that afternoon.

"What's up with Ice Princess?" Lando asked Luke. "Haven't you noticed that beret she's wearing?" He pointed at Leia from afar, who was wearing a green beret with a thick brim. "It's not her to wear hats, you know."

Luke just shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno."

Just then, Han happened to walk by the place where Luke and Lando were hanging out. "Hey!" Lando called him. Han approached them and as he did, Luke asked him immediately, "Did you and Leia fought again? She seems to be in a foul mood."

Han remembered about Leia accidentally cutting off the middle part of her right eyebrow because his sleazy strip dance that he performed distracted her in the middle of her eyebrow shaving. He let out a loud laugh and said, "Oh, you guys must be wondering why she was wearing that hat you know?" And he related the story behind the issue.

After hearing the story, all three burst into thundering peals of laughter. "Wooo!" Lando hooted in between laughs. "You did a strip dance in front of her? That was priceless!"

"She must have been aroused!" Luke exclaimed.

"I'm sure she is! Maybe she finally realized how sexy you are!" Lando added.

"Of course I am!" Han replied humorously, and even gyrated his body for another round of strip dancing.

"Stop it man!" Lando exclaimed, laughing. "You're arousing me, Captain Solo!" he joked, while trying to do an imitation of Leia's voice.

"I should have brought my video cam with me! Then we'll be giving this to Leia! I'm sure she'll love this!" Luke said, clutching his stomach in between laughs.

"The moral lesson is, don't dance in front of Her Highness while shaving her eyebrows," said Lando.

"She's not that numb, after all," Han replied. Then he sang again, "_If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy..."_ and even danced some more, while Luke and Lando laughed hysterically.

"What are you laughing at?"

Han stopped dancing, while Luke and Lando grew quiet upon hearing the sound of the familiar voice that belongs to the only woman general in the Alliance. All three of them stopped short and posed to bow their head out of respect for Leia.

"Good afternoon, your worship," Luke mumbled.

Leia smiled at him and gave Lando and Han a dirty look. "Seems like you're having a little fun there, aren't you?"

"Actually..." Lando trailed off.

"Just doing the dance I proudly performed for you this morning, remember?" Han asked as he reminded her of the strip dance debacle.

Leia cringed upon hearing what Han said. _Because of you, all people look at me as if they've never seen a woman wearing a beret. _Everywhere she went that afternoon, the other rebels would look at her quizzically and ask why she was wearing a beret. And she would just give them a mean stare that says "none of your business!" This was enough to keep them silent but still, she could hear them laugh even if she was already out of earshot. She even heard the following conversation between two rebels:

"_Noticed that band-aid sticking out underneath her hat? It's so obvious!"_

"_Yeah. I think she had a cut on her eyebrow or something. Did you think Captain Solo_

_hit her?"_

"_Probably so. Maybe they had another one of their love quarrels."_

"_Hah! What a bitch she is!"_

"_I actually feel sorry for the poor guy. Anyway, what is their relationship with each other? Do _

_you think they're an item?"_

"_Oh yes! I'm sure they're on, what with the way they're acting. Everyone knows about it."_

"_Nah, I don't think so."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_They're not that sweet with each other as couples often do."_

"_Who knows? But we'll never know..."_

Thinking about this made Leia felt disgusted with her self. _Even the people here think Han and I are a couple; that Han and I had a lovers' quarrel and hit me and so I got this band-aid stuck on my right eyebrow. You're so great at being a marathon eavesdropper, Leia, _she berated her self angrily.

She felt Han pulled down the brim of her beret, which made her feeling more messed-up than ever. "Hey princess, take this thing off, won't you?"

"Stop covering my eyes!" she exclaimed, agitated.

Han lifted the beret off her head. "Don't be so embarrassed with how you look today. It's just a silly wound. It'll heal off soon."

"Bring that back to me, will you?" Leia told him as she tried to reach for it. But he hid it instead inside his jacket. Han smiled at her mockingly and said, "Relax there and stop being self-conscious."

"How would I relax when people would talk about me?" Leia cried out in despair.

Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulder and assured her, in a whisper, "Don't be so paranoid. Everybody gets his skin cut at one time or another. It's natural for people to get curious." Luke knew that Leia would listen to him more with his advice than with Han's.

"Oh... alright," she replied.

Lando decided to change the topic of their conversation. "Hey guys, want to eat snack outside?" he suggested.

"Oh yes, I'm getting really hungry," Han said.

Lando looked at Leia. "Want to go with us, your highness?"

Leia hesitated at first, but Luke convinced her, "It'll be okay. Don't worry about Han. So that you'll learn how to mingle with him when you're outside. Loosen up sometimes."

_As if being with him 24/7 is not yet enough to learn a lot about him and his ways. _"Sure." she agreed. "I'll go with you."

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All throughout the time they were eating at the snack bar, Han couldn't help himself but to feel jealous with Luke. Leia sat beside him when they ate, and it seems like they were having a great time with each other, what with the way they enjoyed their conversation. _I'm not supposed to feel jealous of Luke. But how come whenever I see Leia with him, I can't help myself but feel this way? I don't have a right to, but why? _Han thought about this all the time until finally, he went home with Leia.

He sat down at the sofa by himself and watched wistfully as Leia retreated to her room. He could even hear her hum to herself. _She must have felt so happy being with Luke today, _he thought. Just then, he heard a beep on his com link, which made him snap out of his thoughts. Han clicked it open, and when he did, a holographic image of a man appeared. He recognized it as one of his smuggler companions.

"Hey, Solo, Master Jabba wants to see you. You gotta talk to him to settle your debts."

Han's brows furrowed, and totally forgot about setting his debts with that disgusting creature, Jabba the Hutt, who was a well-known slave master in the galaxy. "Okay," he replied. "I'll be going there tomorrow. How much does he want?"

"The Hutt wants all of the money you have now."

"But I don't have any!" Han exclaimed. "Can't I talk it out with him instead? Maybe I can find a way and..."

"Just go there tomorrow immediately," the man replied. Then the holographic image disappeared, and Han clicked off his com link. He buried his head on his hands, worried about the amount of money Jabba the Hutt wants him to pay. _Where would I get such a huge amount? _He thought about selling the Falcon, his beloved ship, but then, he found out that he didn't have the heart to do so. _I've invested on the Falcon for years and I'll only sell it off just to settle my debts? Why would I? _

Leia passed by the living room and gazed at Han, who was looking very worried. Even if she was still annoyed with him, she felt concerned with what he was thinking of. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

Han lifted up his head and stared at Leia for a long time. He looked in her eyes and sensed that she was actually concerned about him. The conspicuous-looking band-aid plastered above her right eyebrow did nothing to ease away his worry, instead of making him laugh like he did this morning.

"I have to go to Tatooine," Han related, "And talk to Jabba the Hutt because I have to settle my debts with him. But I have nothing to pay him off. I thought of selling the Falcon and..."

"You don't have to do that!" Leia exclaimed. "I know how much the Millenium Falcon means to you. And you'll sell it off just like that?"

"Yes, I know. But still, I'm not sure of what to do..."

Leia suddenly thought of an idea. Her face brightened up. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. She hurriedly went to her room and before long, she came back, holding a fat white paper bag in her hand. She handed it to Han and said, "Here, take this. It's all yours. Use this to pay your debts."

Han opened the paper bag. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the bag contained a huge amount of money. He looked at Leia in amazement and said, "Your highness, I... I couldn't take this. This is your money."

Leia smiled at him. "No, take it. Besides, I still have a large fortune of those left in the bank of Bespin." Before Bail Organa died, he left Leia a huge sum of money enough to make her wealthy, just in case she'll be needing financial support with the Alliance and with her personal life.

Han felt grateful that Leia was kind enough to help him out. He smiled at her and a sheepish "thank you" was all he could mutter.

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That night, Han packed his bags to leave for Tatooine. Before he departed, he reminded Leia to take care of herself.

"I don't know how long I'll be out, but in about five days' time, I'll try to be back. Take care of yourself, will you?"

Leia nodded her head at him in agreement. This time, she didn't felt the need to say much. "Where's the Falcon?" she asked.

"It's parked outside the city limits. It'll be safe there."

"Is that so? Well..." she trailed off, at a lost for words to say. She didn't know whether she would feel elated or lonely, now that Han will be out for an indefinite period of time. "Happy trip."

She accompanied Han outside the door and decided to go with him to bring him outside, but Han told her not to bother. "Just bring me outside the door."

Before they parted, Leia looked at him for one last time and tried to memorize his face; those twinkling hazel eyes of his will be missed. "Safe trip," she said.

Han winked at her and said, "Grow out your eyebrow soon, will you?"

Leia touched the band-aid and laughed. "See you soon." She watched as Han waved goodbye at her before he went off without ever looking back. Leia watched him until he boarded the elevator, and he was nowhere in sight.

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That night, Leia found it hard to fall asleep by herself. Even if she was all alone in her room, knowing that Han was not around made her feel queasy. Han was never that talkative, but the silence that filled the entire pad was deafening.

She tossed and turn on her bed, thinking, _Now that the scruffy looking nerf herder is not here anymore, I know I should be glad. No one will tease me for days, and at last, I can have some real peace. But why... why am I feeling this way towards him? _she asked herself. She never expected that she would miss him this badly.

_I don't have the right to say this, nor to feel this way, because I know I'm nothing to you. And you are nothing to me. But I just can't imagine my life without you, Han. Why did he became the most important person to me all of a sudden?_

_I guess this is it, _Leia confirmed. _I'm officially missing you. _

**A/N: **As we all know, the money Leia gave to Han was not enough to pay off his debts, and Leia was _the one _who was sold off to Jabba in payment for Han's debts (as seen in ROTJ).

Watch out for Chapter 10! It'll be a song-fic chapter describing about Han and Leia's growing feelings for each other. Mushy, mushy, mushy:) Again, please review! Thanks!


	10. Can This Be Love?

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars. The song "Can This Be Love" is sung by Sarah Geronimo, and composed by Ryan Cayabyab.

**SUMMARY: **This chapter is the first of two song fic chapters in these series. A song fic chapter, this describes the growing feelings of Han and Leia with each other. But their inhibitions are holding them back from expressing what they truly feel.

**CHAPTER X- Can This Be Love?**

Two days had already passed by, and Leia tried to go on with her daily routine; go to the Rebel Alliance Headquarters, talk about Alliance business, go home, and go to sleep. Han had gone away for a trip to Tatooine to settle his smuggling debts. Leia kind of enjoyed the peace and quiet that dominated the entire pad in the apartelle, knowing that Han won't be around for a long period of time. _I'm so glad the nerf-herder is not here these days. At last, I'll be getting a break from all his teasing and sarcastic remarks, _she thought, relieved. _My mind should be at ease by now, right?  
_Wrong. The fiery tempest brewing inside her was just starting. And it bothered her a lot.

_Can this be love I'm feeling right now_

_I know for certain I'm feeling right now_

_I don't recall ever feeling this way_

_Tell me what does one say_

_To one who makes me feel this way_

She never entertained such thought before, but it was so hard to shake it off her head. _Is this love? _She asked herself. _No! It can't be! I can't be feeling this way for that nerf-herder. My focus is on the Rebellion. I should worry instead about Darth Vader and the Emperor finding out all of these, getting caught, and, heaven forbid, getting these whole Rebellion thing eradicated. But instead, all I ever think about is that scruffy looking, laserbrain, nerf-herder. Captain Han Solo. _Leia found herself smiling more often these days with him in mind. She would be more conscious at the mention of his name, and there was even one time that she lost hold of her eating utensils during lunch with Luke and Lando, when the topic of their noontime conversation was about him. Later that day, Luke approached her and asked if she was missing Han. Instead of being able to come up with a _"Why would I miss him?" _reply, Leia found herself at a lost for words to say. She stared at Luke blankly for a long time, and Luke ended up saying "Oh sorry… have to go," and walked away from her, looking embarrassed. _The poor guy must have thought that I don't like to talk about Han. Or am I getting too obvious already? But why, why can't I help but feel this way? I know how to be cool, calm, and collected even in the face of danger, but when it comes to him, I can't control my emotions? He's just nothing to me, but why I am longing to be with him all the time? This is not funny anymore._

_Can this be love I'm feeling right now_

_I am not sure of this feeling somehow_

_Why do I tremble whenever you're near_

_I can't seem to say my words so you'll hear_

"Threepio, you're so lucky to be a droid," Leia said to C3PO, the protocol droid, one afternoon while spending her time at the pad.

"What makes you say that, Mistress Leia?", Threepio asked as he walked awkwardly and sat beside her.

"Because…" Leia stopped for a while. "Because you don't have to be bothered by unwanted feelings."

Threepio looked at her quizzically, mechanical eyes blinking on and off as if trying to comprehend what she had said. "Unwanted feelings?" he asked.

"Feelings that you don't have to worry about," she explained. "Like trying to get off your mind a person you used to hate."

Threepio got her point. "Are you talking about Captain Solo?" he asked.

Leia was shocked at what she said. A person you _used _to hate. She can't believe she actually said that. She could feel herself blush from the roots of her hair.

"Oh I understand what you're feeling!" Threepio exclaimed as he stood up. 'It's that thing called… uh, what is it again? It's… oh I know! LOVE!"

At the sound of the L word, she stood up from her seat and ran to her room feeling ashamed for telling Threepio about her dilemma. _I can't believe even Threepio knew something about human emotions, _she thought as she slammed the door shut.

Meanwhile, Threepio was still speaking, unaware that Leia had already ran off to her room.

"Oh Mistress Leia," he rattled off, "How wonderful it is for you to be in love! But with Captain Solo? Why does it have to be him?" Threepio turned around and found out that he wasn't talking to anybody. "Mistress Leia, where are you?" he asked aloud. "Are you there?" Then he finally concluded, "She's in love, after all. No wonder, she's not her usual self these days. Oh, the magic of the human heart!" Threepio exclaimed dreamily.

_This is the first time I'm gonna say I love you_

_It's the first time I ever felt so helpless deep inside_

_If I had to say a thousand times _

_I'd tell you once again_

_This is the first time I'm gonna say I love you_

Inside her room, Leia could still hear what Threepio had told her. _IT'S LOVE! Love. L-O-V-E. _That unexplainable, unfathomable, four-letter word.

She remembered asking her father once when she was young about this. It was a sunny afternoon in Alderaan, and, upon seeing her dad sitting by the palace balcony, she approached him and asked, "Daddy, how do you know when you're in love?"

Bail Organa chuckled and lifted up young Leia, sitting her on his lap. "Lelila, sweetie, why are you asking me that question?" he asked. "Are you in love?" he joked.

Seven year old Leia felt a bit embarrassed. "No, I'm not!" she vehemently said. "It's because I saw our chambermaid Jenna with a guy this morning in the garden. And you know what? They were kissing! Eeeewwww!" Leia could still recall that when she played in the garden that morning, she saw from afar a couple walking around hand in hand. She recognized the girl as Jenna, one of the palace chambermaids, with a guy she didn't know. She secretly followed them and hid in the bushes, and much to her surprise, Jenna and her male companion started exchanging "I love yous" followed by a deep kiss on the lips. Totally grossed out with what she saw, Leia couldn't take watching the scene anymore and went back inside the palace.

"It's really yucky, daddy!" Leia exclaimed in disgust. "Do people in love have to do that? Do you have to get kissed just to know that you're in love?" she asked curiously.

"No you don't," Bail replied, groping for the right words to explain to his daughter about the matters of the heart. "It's an expression of love. When you're in love, you'll just know."

"What! But I thought that when you're in love, angels will come down from heaven and you'll hear them singing to you."  
"It's not like that, my child," Bail continued. "You'll know you're in love when you have no second thoughts, not even a first thought, about saying 'I love you' to a person. Love will enter your heart without you knowing it. That's why it's called 'falling in love'." Bail smiled at Leia, who was trying to figure out what she just heard.

"Maybe you're right, dad," she finally said after a moment of silence. "But I don't like boys! And I would never kiss a boy, ever! Boys have cooties!" she exclaimed in childish disgust.

Bail laughed. "Right now, you may hate boys, but one day, you'll dream of kissing one," he said good-naturedly.

"Eeeewwww, dad, stop it!"

Time passed by, and Leia soon found herself experiencing her fair share of crushes, puppy loves, and a little fling here and there. Most of the time, she concluded that it was the real thing, but would be heartbroken when her dad would say "It's just puppy love, my child." Once, she would cry over a crush who liked another girl instead of her, but then later on, she'll realize that she never really loved the boy. It was a superficial kind of love, the kind that would fade away easily. She longed for the day when true love would find her at last.

All sorts of thoughts filled her head as she lay down on her bed. Leia stared blankly at the ceiling, and asked again that question she used to ask her father.

_How do you know if it's love?_

_When it's your heart that speaks, and not your head. Love will just enter your heart without you knowing it._

She soon found herself day dreaming of Han kissing her deeply. The kind of kiss that'll make you want to faint. Leia realized that she never felt this desperate before. _So that's why they call it 'falling in love'. You don't force yourself to fall, you just fall, _she thought. _And I can't believe I've already fallen for this scoundrel. _

_Can this be love I'm feeling right now_

_I love the feeling it's giving me now_

_A voice inside me is telling me now_

_It's guiding me now_

_To take your hand and say_

_This is the first time I'm gonna say I love you_

_It's the first time I ever felt so helpless deep inside_

_If I had to say a thousand times _

_I'd tell you once again_

_This is the first time I'm gonna say I love you…_

It was the real thing she was feeling all along. Even if Han might not take her seriously, she concluded to herself that her heart has never felt so right before.

But one thing still bothered her.

_Am I heading myself for another heartbreak? I wish that what had happened with my ex- before won't happen again. _

Still, she relished in the feeling this was giving her. Leia was now dead-serious about pursuing her feelings for Han. _Never mind what people would think about me. I hope he'll get to see right through me, and appreciate me for who I am. And I'm willing to look like an idiot for you. _

This was the first time Leia felt like saying "I love you" to Han.

**A/N: **I've read before in a Star Wars novel that Lelila was the childhood pet name of Leia, so it's not really my idea. I think it's in the novel wherein Leia and Han's children got kidnapped, and I forgot the title, so don't sue me!

Acknowledgements to the book "Conversations with God for Teenagers" by Neale Donald Walsch, as that's where I based Bail's love advice to Leia. I recommend you guys this book. Lots of inspirational insights from the Big Guy in the Sky Himself! Lovely!

I know the song I used for this chapter is not that well-known internationally. But anyways, it's an awesome song composed by a Filipio artist. If you're really that curious, be free to download an mp3 of this song on the Net. Just be patient, as it's not that easy to find. But I tell you, no regrets when you hear the song!

Thanks a lot for reading! Pls. review!


	11. Fallin'

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCLAIMER: **You know the drill. By the way, Janno Gibbs sang "Fallin'" (another OPM hit). I'm only using it for this chapter. Han's smuggler friends are my idea. I borrowed a line from the song "(They Longed to Be) Close To You" by the Carpenters.

**SUMMARY: **The second part of the two-part song fic chapters in these series. This time, Han is totally sure that he's in love with Leia! He reminisces about her while he's away.

CHAPTER XI- Fallin' 

Han Solo went out of Jabba's chambers feeling very frustrated. A while ago, the Hutt told him that the money he paid to settle his debts was not enough for him. _Another new problem, _he thought, dismayed. _Now where would I get such an amount to pay all my debts? _Nevertheless, the Hutt accepted his payment.

"Hey Solo! How's life?" A voice from afar called out to him. Han turned his head and recognized the person calling out to him. It was none other than Ben Frigg, a close smuggler friend of his.

"Frigg!" he exclaimed. They approached each other and gave the other one a strong tap on the shoulder. "It's been ages since I last saw you. How's the business going?"

"Oh, fine. I'm glad the Empire hasn't found it yet."

Both walked further until they reached the entrance of the Mos Eisley Cantina. It was the favorite hang out of smugglers and space pirates. Han used to hang out here frequently before he became a member of the Alliance along with his buddies. There, they would gamble, drink, and check out the cantina bargirls.

Ben waved to a group of three men who were sitting around in a circular table. The three of them were engrossed in a round of Idiot's Array, that Ben had to shout out to them in order to be heard.

"Good men! Look who I have here with me! Solo's back!"

Upon hearing the news, the men dropped the cards they were holding and stood up immediately. A gray-haired middle-aged man slapped Han playfully on the shoulder. "Han! It's good to see you again!"

"How's your rebel life?" a muscular-looking man asked.

"I'm doin' fine," Han replied with a smile.

"So, why don't we welcome him again into the club?" a short chubby man piped in. He motioned for a bargirl to give them a drink. "Five bottles of whisky, pretty lady," he said, as soon as the bargirl approached them. The bargirl smiled at the men in a flirty manner and replied, "As you wish, fatso." Then the girl turned away.

The men sat down at the table. Everyone was eager to ask Han about his newfound occupation as a rebel general. "How's the war going on, Solo?" Angus, the middle-aged man, asked him.

"It's going well. We're soon to have a big battle with the Strom troopers in Hoth."

"Are you talking about that icy planet?" the muscular man asked.

"Yup. We'll be going there next month, Ray," Han replied. _Along with Ice Princess, he thought. Why did she enter his thoughts all of a sudden?_

Our little conversations 

_Are turning into little sweet sensations _

_And they're only getting sweeter every time_

_Our friendly get-togethers_

_Are turning into visions of forever_

_And I can't believe this foolish heart of mine_

"Hey Solo! Are you there?" Max, the chubby man, snapped at Han. They were immersed in a round of Idiot's Array. Nearby, a gorgeous female singer was singing a mellow love song. Some men gathered around the dance floor, doing a slow dance with the bargirls. The song made Han remembered the woman who drove his life crazy. Princess Leia Organa. For the past days, he was enjoying his own company as he traveled to Tatooine, but somehow, he felt that there's something missing. _Could it be that I'm actually missing her? _he thought. _It feels so good that Nerf Brain is not here with me to drive me crazy all the time. But why am I missing her? She means nothing to me._

"Wake up, Han!" Ben nudged him on the ribs. It hurt him enough to snap him out of his thoughts. "Watch it, bro!" Han exclaimed, agitated.

"Sorry for that," Ben mumbled an apology.

"Han, you lose!" Ray exclaimed. "I got the Idiot's Array!" he cried out.

"Oh crap!" Han exclaimed in defeat. He took a swig of whisky. Maybe this will drown all his thoughts of her. But this was not enough to drown the gnawing feeling in his heart. It was something he wanted to run away from, but the more he did, the more it drove deeper into him.

"What's the deal when someone loses this round?" Max asked aloud.

"A whisky treat!" the other three exclaimed.

"I don't know that! What kind of rule is this?" Han asked, surprised.

"Oh, I totally forgot, Solo," Ben explained to him. "Those who loses the game for the third time will give us a treat. Han forgot that this was the third time he lost a round of Idiot's Array.

He felt Max reached for his wallet, which was popping out of his pocket. "Hey, give it back to me!" Han shouted. He made a grab for it, but before he could do so, Max flew it away from him and waved it friskily in the air. "Hey, sexy miss," he called out again to a bargirl. "Five bottles of whisky, please! We'll be paying this with Captain Solo's money!"

"In a while, asshole!" the bargirl called out from afar.

Han felt annoyed at Max for taking his wallet. "Who says you can use my money to pay for your drinks?" he asked.

"Rules are rules," Ray told him. He noticed the uneasy look on Han's face. "Relax, buddy," he continued. "Why are you in a hurry to get your wallet?"

"Oh come on, I'll just take a look at it," Max smiled mockingly as he opened the wallet and explored its contents.

Just then, a pocket-sized picture fell out from the floor. "What's this?" Max wondered as he picked up the picture from the floor. He turned it over, and a holographic picture of a smiling woman looked back at him. "Hey, who's this?"

_Oh, great, now they know, _Han thought, embarrassed.

I can't pretend 

_That I'm just a friend_

_Cause I'm thinking maybe we were meant to be_

"No wonder, Han, you've been so un-attentive all afternoon," Ben told him. He and the others crowded around Max as they studied carefully the picture Han carried around in his wallet. Han just buried his head in embarrassment. Before he left for Tatooine, Han happened to pass by the vanity dresser of the Princess and found a picture of her lying around. He didn't know what he was thinking of during that moment, but he just grabbed the picture and stuck in inside his wallet. _What made me do it? _he wondered. _Am I having feelings for her already? _And he seemed to have found himself staring more and more at her picture with a silly, sheepish grin plastered on his face.

"Hey, she's cute," Ray commented with a smug smile. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"I have to admit, she has my approval but you have already forgotten the rules," Angus said. "Collect and collect women, and no going steady."

Han felt himself blush a deep shade of red. "Return that to me, will you? And for your info, she's not my girlfriend."

"Stop playing denial king, Han," Angus shot back at him.

"If she's not your girlfriend, then why are you keeping a picture of her in your wallet?" Ray asked curiously.

Han felt dumbstruck, at a lost for words to say. _Why did I keep that in my wallet? And why am I growing fond of staring at her picture? _It was not him to keep a picture of a woman and stare at it shamelessly.

Max passed around the picture to the other men, and they took turns in staring at it. Soon, the picture reached the hands of Ben. Ben turned it around and found out that Leia had actually written her name behind it. "Guys, there's something written behind it," he said. The other men gathered closer around Ben, and he read out the name written at the back of the picture. "It says here," he mumbled, "That the name of the lady in this pic is..." he looked more closely at the cursive writing, "...Leia Organa".

"Did you say Organa! Isn't it that well-known Alderaanian royal family?" Ray exclaimed in astonishment.

Ben looked at Han, his eyes widened in shock. He knew something about that aristocratic family. "You've got to be kidding, Solo! You knew her personally?"

Han have no choice but to tell the truth. "Well... yes..." he muttered. Then he related to his companions about how he had to share a pad with Leia, and she getting at his nerves for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. After hearing the story, the men grew even more curious, which led them to asking more questions.

"I never thought that princess is such a pain in the neck," Max commented.

"Did you ever try to spy on her when she takes her bath?" green-minded Ray asked. "I bet you've seen her butt-naked."

"I'd never do that," Han replied, blushing.

"She's a pain in the neck, all right," Angus concluded. "But I'd give anything in this world just to be with a cute lady like her all day and all night."

"She's cute," Ben chimed in, staring even more at her portrait. "I'm crushing on her." He pressed the portrait to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"Don't you know that cute is next to ugly?" Han said bitterly as he snatched away the photo from Ben. He grabbed his wallet from Max and hid the photo hurriedly in his wallet, keeping it away from sight.

The bargirl arrived with five bottles of whisky. The men made a grab for a bottle, and toasted it. "Here's to Han and his chick," they said in unison before taking a swig. Han didn't join their toast, but he just looked at them meanly, flustered for being teased to Leia.

After a while, Ben asked him again. "So," he trailed off in a drunken voice, "What's the real deal with you and with that Organa lady? Are you an item?"

"I never even thought of being on with her. She's not my type, and I don't like her," Han spat off sarcastically as he drank some more whisky.

"Wooo!" Max hooted, as if trying to annoy him even more. "You don't like her, but it's already obvious that you're falling in love with her!"

"Correct!" Angus, Ben, and Ray exclaimed in agreement.

_I think I'm fallin, fallin in love with you_

_And I don't, I don't know what to do_

_I'm afraid you'll turn away_

_But I'll say it anyway_

_I think I'm fallin, fallin for you_

_Fallin, fallin in love with you_

_How obvious am I already acting? _Han asked himself. Feelings of guilt, frustration, and annoyance with his self slowly crept in. He realized that he was thinking of her more and more, that he was actually longing for her presence in his life. _Is this an I-miss-you case, or something deeper? _he wondered. _When I'm with her, I wanted her out of my sight, and when I'm not with her, I want her back in my life. _He never thought that he was actually feeling this way for her.

The men were now mockingly singing a song that annoyed Han to his very being. "_Why do stars fall down from the sky," _the men sang in a drunken voice, "_Every time, you walk by, just like me, they longed to be close to you..." _Then the men burst into roaring peals of laughter. Han blushed even more, and not just because of embarrassment.

"Han, you're turning into a mush ball!" Max exclaimed.

"_The _Captain Han Solo—lover boy!" Angus joined in.

He couldn't take anymore being treated as if he had some contagious disease. He stood up from his seat, angry, and berated the drunken men. "If you have nothing good to say, shut up!" With that, he turned away and headed for the exit.

The men just looked at each other, dumbfounded. "Well, that's the way people are when they're in love," Ben remarked at Han's sensitivity with their jokes. They had never seen him that way before.

"Correct!" the others chimed in as they hiccupped.

_Whenever we're together _

_I'm wishing that goodbyes would turn to never _

_Cause with you is where I always want to be_

_Whenever I'm beside you_

_All I really wanna do is hold you_

_No one else but you has meant this much to me_

_I can't pretend_

_That I'm just a friend_

_Cause I'm thinking maybe_

_We were meant to be_

Han walked out of the cantina out of annoyance. As he trudged back to his ship, the words of his friends kept ringing inside his head. _"You don't like her but you're in love with her!"_

_You're in love with her!_

_You're in love with her!_

Those words, no matter how hard he tried to get off his mind, just kept repeating inside him. Then the truth struck him—a truth so easy to say but so hard to swallow.

_She was now his everything. The air he breathes, the heart beat of his soul, the one he cannot live without. No other woman has meant this much to him as she did._

_I think I've fallen, fallen in love with you_

_And I don't, I don't know what to do_

_I'm afraid you'll turn away _

_But I'll say it anyway..._

He never thought it would end up like this. Even if he kept on saying that she's not his type, he was now positively sure that...

_I think I've fallen_

_Fallen_

_In love with you_

_Fallen_

_Fallen in love with you..._

The question of "why her?" still stuck in his mind. But with that, another question bothered him.

_Will you be there to catch me when I fall? _

Because Max was completely right with what he said.

_You don't like her, but you love her!_

_Madly! Han had never felt this mad for any other woman. _

He took out again her picture. Leia smiled back at him, and Han smiled sheepishly to himself. Then he tenderly kissed her portrait, as if she'll be the only one to fill his dreams and fantasies.

_Leia, now I know that I love you. _

**A/N: **Again, I'm using an OPM song here, but I tell you, it's a lovely song. Romantic. If you're that curious to hear it, feel free to look for an mp3 of this song, "Fallin'", by Janno Gibbs.

A big "HI!" to one of my loyal readers, Hannah (Gewher)! Thanks for supporting my story! I'm so flattered:) :) :) I'll do my best to write better chapters. Thanks a lot! RR please!


	12. Dressed to Kill

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCALIMER: **You know the drill.

**SUMMARY: **While Han is away, Leia decides to check out the nightlife in Cloud City out of boredom. But first, she went shopping.

CHAPTER XII- Dressed to Kill 

Leia Organa sighed to herself as she sat back on the sofa. _What a boring day, _she thought. Today was her day-off from taking charge of all the rebel duties in the Alliance, and there isn't much work to be done at home. The silence that enveloped the pad was still deafening; Han had been away not just for five days, but for seven days. Until now, they had not made any contact with each other. Leia was tempted to call him or send him a holographic message, but was ashamed to do so, what with the realization that she was now in love with him.

_Does he feel the same way too? _She was asking herself this question for days on end. She tried asking heaven for a sign, but until now, no sign has happened yet. _Is fate toying around with me? Am I supposed to feel this way for him? _

She stood up from the sofa and walked around some more. _These feelings are surely driving me crazy, _she thought. She entered her room and sat in front of the vanity dresser, and found herself staring back at her own reflection. She looked at her eyes, and saw a different Leia. Instead of the calm, in-control, and stoic princess, she saw something else: she saw a young girl crazy in love and going weak over missing a scruffy-looking nerf-herder. _I feel like a child again, at a lost for words. How do you define a crush combined with longing? But, this is not just a crush._

"Arrghhh!" she shouted out and shook her head strongly, trying to brush away the thoughts that keep on bothering her. "Why do I have to feel this way for you, Captain Solo!" she asked out loud. "I wish you'll just disappear into thin air just so I won't be asking myself these questions!" she screamed. "Don't you know how hard it is to be in love with you?"

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Threepio peeked into the door. The droid happened to pass by her bedroom and heard Leia's wails of angst and confusion. Leia was startled at hearing Threepio's voice complete with his droid accent, and turned her head to the door.

"Huh?" she mumbled. She felt like a moron. "Oh...I'm okay..." she replied, trying to smile and feeling like a loon at doing so.

A moment of awkward silence followed. It wasn't long before Threepio spoke up again. "Are you sure you're doing fine?" he asked. "I heard you saying something about Captain Solo. Would you mind if you repeat again what you said?" he asked politely.

Leia felt her self blushed a deep shade of red. _Did Threepio hear what I said? _Flustered and embarrassed at the same time, she lost hold of her temper and felt her bitchiness coming back to life again. "Why would I say that again? Are you deaf? Didn't you heard what I just said?" she asked with a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"Well, Mistress Leia, I..." Threepio trailed off.

"Go away, will you?" she shot back. Threepio (did he felt embarrassed?) grew quiet and turned to walk away. As Threepio walked down the corridor, he mumbled to his droid self annoyingly, "Mistress Leia sure is in love, what with that horrible temper!" he exclaimed.

"I heard that!" Leia yelled from a distance. Threepio stopped short and huffed before he totally went off.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Leia rested her head in her arms on the vanity table. _I feel so messed up. And it's all because of that laser brain guy who drives me crazy. These feelings are a pain in the neck! _She remembered when she was still a schoolgirl, her friends would approach her for love advice regarding their crushes and flings. Back then, Leia was a carefree girl who didn't cared much about crushes and matters of the heart. Haughtily, she would just laugh off after hearing her friends' problems and reply, "Well, if I were you, I'd just forget about these feelings. It's just a phase. It's not yet the real thing. Those love stitches are only driving you crazy."

"Well, you're so lucky, Leia," the girl buddy would reply shyly. "You're lucky not to be having love problems like me."

"Yeah, and I don't look stupid for feeling that way." Then she would laugh again, and the friend would go away feeling embarrassed for ever asking her advice, and would make a resolve not to approach her again.

Leia felt regretful for treating her friends that way before. _Now I'm the one in need of advice, _she thought frustratingly. _I have no one to approach and help me sort out my feelings. Maybe it's what fate does to people who used to be stoic and cynical about love. _She thought of Luke and the prospect of asking him about this, but then, she felt not doing it. _I might be too obvious already, and I think he has an idea of my Han dilemma. _

She lifted up her head and saw the band-aid stuck on her eyebrow. Her wound took days before it could finally heal off. She placed her hand on the band-aid and closing her eyes, she peeled it off fast. _Whew, _she sighed in relief. _Now it's healed, and I'll just fill it up with a brow liner. How easy it is for silly wounds like this to heal. But with heartaches, that's another story. Love can be annoying sometimes. _

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Later on, late in the afternoon, Leia decided to go around town and go shopping. She planned to check out the night life in Cloud City and with this in mind, she decided to buy a dress that will make her blend in with the party crowd at _Stairway to Heaven. _This was the lounge where Han, Luke and Lando usually go out to after Alliance meetings. _I'd like to see it for myself, and learn why people loved going there at night, _she thought while she entered a boutique. She patiently scanned the clothes rack to find something suitable to wear. Most of the clothes in her closet were princess dresses, aside from the usual pants and combat gear get up she always wore. _I'd like to wear something sexy this time, something that's "not me". _

She found something that she liked, a red asymmetrical mini-skirt and a black tube top. After fitting it, she purchased the wardrobe complete with matching high-heeled sandals, and went out of the shop feeling so elated at what she brought.

Upon going home, Leia took a quick shower and finally wore the outfit she brought. She tied her hair in a high ponytail and curled it with a curling iron. She applied make-up excitedly; strong eyeliner and mascara, deep red blush on and lipstick. She finished the look with silver hoop earrings and stepped in her high-heeled sandals. When she stood up and went to check herself in the full-length mirror, she smiled at what she saw.

She was not Her Royal Highness Princess Leia Organa anymore.

Instead, she was a vampy party girl ready to take on the night scene.

_Wow, Leia, is that really you? _she asked her self amazingly. She never expected that she could be this good at applying make-up and making herself look like a sexy, rebellious, wild chick. Even the high heels did compensate for her petite height by making her look taller.

She felt sad that Han was not around to be with her. _Maybe if he were with me, he'd probably eat his heart out. I'm sure he likes his women sexy. _She shook her head and tried to brush away the thoughts of Han admiring her in her get-up. _That's why I'm going to the lounge, right? To make myself forget him and my feelings even just for a while. _She decided that when she gets there, she'd drown her self in a few drinks.

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As she walked around the apartelle corridors, she passed by Luke, who was walking back to his pad. Luke did not notice her at first, and probably thought that she was just one of the residents, until he heard her voice call out to him.

"Hi Luke." Luke turned around and squinted, as if trying to recognize the woman in a red mini skirt and black tube top. Upon realizing that it was Leia, Luke frowned quizzically, thinking, _Your Highness, is that really you? _He'd never seen her looking that way, until now. Thick make-up and sexy outfit. It was not she to wear those things and act that way.

Leia tilted her head sideways in a flirty manner and smiled. "So, how do you like my outfit, young Skywalker?" she asked Luke in a flirty voice. She giggled.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked curiously.

"I'll be enjoying myself for a while," she replied. "What about you?" she asked.

"I don't feel like going out today." Luke was at a lost for words. All this time, he'd been crushing on the Princess, admiring her for her beauty, strength, and intellect. But never did he ever fantasize about her flirting with him, out of his great respect for her. It was enough for him to let her tell him all her woes and sadness and allow her a good cry and have her rest on his shoulders. Seeing Leia fully made-up gave him mixed emotions. He didn't know whether he'd think of her as a slut or not, even though she _did_ looked that way. Just like the girls he saw at _Stairway to Heaven. _ _Is she trying to escape from her real self? Or is she feeling something in her that she wants to run away from? _

Leia waved at him and said her farewell. "Bye, Luke," she said, and turned away. Luke just stood and watched her wistfully until he could no longer see her.

_Yeah, she's sexy, all right, but she doesn't have to do that just to escape from her self. _

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Leia, on the other hand, just felt pleasantly surprised at Luke's reaction when he saw her. _He thinks I'm sexy! _she thought jokingly. _I'm desirable, after all. _She smiled.

_Watch out, I'm going to conquer the party scene! _

**A/N: **Leia did what she did so she could drown herself in a few drinks and forget about her lovestruck feelings for Han. She wants to run away, but the more she does, the more she finds herself falling deeper in love with Han. The question is, does Han feel that way too? Definitely! Only, he too, is afraid to show it. (More on that later.)

When I was making this story in my mind, I played around with the idea of Leia going to a bar dressed up in a mini-skirt and a tube top. I know she'd looked good in that! I guess she wants to be naughty, even just for a while. (Eat your heart out, boys!) Oh yeah, it's also my fantasy to dress up sexily. Hehe!

What will happen once Leia steps inside the _Stairway to Heaven _lounge? Find out in the next chapter! RR please, and thanks for the reviews:)


	13. Tell Me Your Name, You're Lovely!

**TITLE: **"My Sassy Princess"

**AUTHOR: **Maiden of Endor

**DISCLAIMER: **You know the drill. The Ross guy was my idea.

**SUMMARY: **Leia arrives at _Stairway to Heaven _and this annoying guy distracted her. Drunken Leia gets kissed! (Oh boy!)

**CHAPTER XIII- "Tell Me Your Name, You're Lovely!"**

Upon entering the _Stairway to Heaven Lounge, _Leia realized that it was right for her to dress up sexily. Most of the women she saw were wearing tube tops and mini skirts, just like her, and some were even daring enough to wear a bra top with their tight-fitting pants. She felt intimidated that some of the women had long blonde hair, tanned skin, and were taller than her. But nevertheless, she felt flattered when she noticed that most of the guys had their eyes on her, as she felt the weight of their stares when she walked past them. She even heard somebody whispered to his friend, "_That girl in the red mini skirt sure looks pretty!" _Leia turned her head and the guy gave her a wink. Instead of getting back at the man, Leia smiled and winked at him also. No guy has ever complimented her like that before.

_I'm starting to love it in here, _Leia thought as she approached the wine bar. She carefully sat on the high stool, and motioned for the waiter to give her a bottle of wine. When she finally received what she ordered, she was about to pour a wine into her goblet when she felt somebody's presence behind her back. She saw a masculine hand placed on her bare shoulder, and with it, a male voice.

"Tell me your name, you're lovely!" it exclaimed. She turned her head, and found out that it was the guy who winked at her a while ago.

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Abroad the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo was whistling a happy tune to himself. Today, he would be going back to Cloud City, and instead of being annoyed that he would be seeing Leia again, he actually felt excited and elated. He planned to surprise her with this by not telling her when he would go home, and with it, a little present. He looked sideways next to the tiny box rested on the seat next to him, and smiled. It contained a two-in-one silver ring, which was detachable, and the other ring was supposed to be given to your beloved. He would be giving it to her. Today would be the day that he would profess his love for her. With this in mind, he felt even more excited and looked forward to be telling this to her. _No holding back now, Captain, _he thought. _Never mind if I'm turning mushy on her. _

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Leia gulped down her third glass of wine, and she could already feel her head ache. Not just because she was already on the verge of getting drunk, but the guy who approached her was now seated next to her, telling her all about his self and how he usually hangs out here in the lounge.

"You know, I'm the most desirable guy here in this bar," he trailed off loudly. "All the girls want me here, and sometimes, they would even fight over me." He smiled cockily at her, and Leia just rolled her eyes in aversion, thinking, _What an obnoxious guy. He's worse than Han Solo! _She realized that Han was on her mind again, and sipped another glass of wine. She just wants to get lost and try to forget her feelings for him.

The guy reached out for her hand and took hold of it, and with that, he placed it near his lips and kissed it. "You know what, I think you're the prettiest, no, the most beautiful girl I'd seen in my entire life," he commented.

"Yeah, thanks," Leia replied. _And you probably said this line too to all the other girls here in Cloud City._ She wasn't that dumb enough to know that the guy was actually giving her a compliment that seemed more like an insincere flattery. _I don't need to be told like that. I know I'm beautiful, because I know my own worth. _She tried to say something more, but her mind was blocked at a lost for words to say. _The wine's starting to go up my head, _she thought. But she was not _that _drunk to know what was going on around her. She made her senses alert enough to be attentive, just in case she needs to fight back if the guy is going to do her wrong.

"How come you haven't told me your name yet, pretty one?" the guy asked her, caressing her hand. Leia realized that he was still holding her hand, and pulled it away from him. "It's not important for you to know who I am," she shot back snootily.

"By the way, my name is Ross," the guy said. "And you?" he added.

Leia sipped another drink, and poured another wine into her goblet. "I told you, you don't need to know my name," she slurred off as she gulped the wine down.

"Hey, take it easy. You're already drunk!" Ross reprimanded her. He pulled away the bottle of wine, but she managed to grab hold of it. "Stop that, you idiot!" Leia exclaimed, her voice heavy. She took it back and had the bottle next to her. She glared at him angrily.

"Oh, sorry, missy," Ross mumbled, looking aghast. "Come on, tell me who you are," he cajoled her.

She paused for a while, and said, "Okay, okay. If you want to know my name, here goes." She sighed heavily. "My name's Leia."

"You're what?" he asked, looking confused. He didn't understood what she said, except for the last part. She was now starting to get really drunk. "You're Leila?" he asked, trying to clarify what he heard.

"IT'S LEIA, YOU MORON!" she shouted. She was now really annoyed with this obnoxious, talkative man seated next to her, and secretly wished that he'd be going away soon. "Don't you get it!" she exclaimed. Leia didn't notice that the people had their eyes on them, no thanks to her loud and drunken voice.

Ross shushed her to tone down her voice a little. "Shh! The others are hearing us! Your voice is too loud!" he reprimanded her in a whisper.

"Is that so?" Leia could already feel her eyes growing heavy, and her head tilting slightly. Any minute now, she could see herself plopping down on the floor. She realized that heavy liquor and short princesses don't go together. _I want to lie down, _she thought. _But first, I must get this stupid Ross guy out of my sight. _

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"Leia! Nerf-brain! I'm home!" Han exclaimed the moment he opened the door of their pad. He was eager to see her again and that one-in-a-million smile of hers. He walked around, searching for any sign of her presence, while Chewbacca, his wookie sidekick, sat back in one of the armchairs.

"Nerf-brain! Don't you hear me? Or are you asleep?" Han shouted. He went back to the living room, and looked at Chewie. "Where could she be going?" he asked. Chewie just grunted at him and shrugged, meaning, "I don't know."

It was not Han to worry about her, but this time, his fears was starting to grow. Just to be sure, he checked out her room, and found no one there. No short princess lying on the bed.

_Where could that woman be at this time of the night? _Han thought. _Don't tell me, she was kidnapped. But if Storm Troopers entered here and took her away, then everything would be messy and jumbled right? _All the furniture in the pad was in order, and definitely no sign of Storm Trooper invasion. Han entered her room, and saw that the bed was in order. He shifted his sights on the vanity dresser, and found Leia's clothes hanging on the chair. On the table nearby, a vanity kit was strewn open, her make-up in plain sight. There was a tube of red lipstick, which Leia forgot to cover, and a curling iron.

_What would Leia be using her make-up for? _Han wondered. _Don't tell me she..._

"Han! You're home!" Han turned his head and saw Luke. He knew Luke could sense his worry over searching for Leia. "You must be searching for the Princess, right?"

"Yes! Do you know where she went?" Luke was starting to feel that something not right was about to happen to her. So did with Han.

"I think I just know where." Luke replied. "No time to explain, just come with me." Then both of them went out hurriedly, with Chewie trailing behind them.

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"Get your filthy hands off me, will you!"

A group of people was starting to gather around the place where Leia and Ross sat. Ross was taking advantage of Leia's drunkenness, and the way he was treating her was going below the belt. His hand was smoothly gliding along her legs, and way up to her thighs.

Leia slapped his hand. "Stop that!"

"Oh come on, I'm just asking you to be my friend for tonight," Ross said seductively. "Just this once, and it'll be all over. I might not see you again, you know," he added with a cocky smile, which annoyed Leia very much. Even though she was drunk, she was aware that what he was doing to her was not right.

"Do you think I would be this cheap to be sleeping with you?" Leia shot back defensively. "For your information, I'm not like any of the girls here in this place!" she exclaimed, her voice loud enough to be heard.

Ross won't still give up in trying to convince Leia. "Give it try, you might like it! And the moment I met you, I'm already dying to have a taste of your sexy body," he whispered as he stood up from his seat. He pulled Leia down, making her stand up, and held her closer next to him. Hearing this statement awoke her droopy senses, and Leia mentally noted that she must fight back. _I should have brought my blaster with me, _she thought.

She felt his arm wrapped around her waist, and his hand was creeping up her bust. She knew that he was about to fondle her breasts, and she'd definitely not allow that to happen. Before he could do so, Leia nudged him strongly in the ribs and stepped hard on his foot.

"Owww!" Ross exclaimed in pain as Leia managed to let lose of his hold on her. She was about to run outside the door, but Ross followed her, limping, and pulled her arm, which drew her closer again to him. Leia was starting to feel scared, her heart pounding madly in fear. For the first time, she wished Han would appear and save her from this maniac. _Han, where are you? I need you!_

"LET ME GO!" Leia exclaimed, while trying to break free from him.

"Be a good girl," Ross hissed in her ear. "And I will let you go. But first, I'll give you a little souvenir." Without warning, Leia felt herself drawn even closer to him, his face next to hers. His breath was blowing in her face. She felt an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She tried to break lose, but it was too late.

The crowd went wild as Ross kissed Leia hotly. Leia was too dumbfounded, her mind in a whirl, and not knowing what to do next. Her eyes were wide open in shock. She could feel his tongue driving deep in her mouth.

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Han, Luke and Chewie just arrived at _Stairway to Heaven, _and even from the entrance, a commotion could be heard from inside. There were sounds of people hooting and cheering.

"What in the world is going on?" Han asked, confused.

"Can we go inside?" Luke asked the bouncer at the door. "We're looking for somebody, a petite woman in a red skirt, and maybe you've seen her."

"I think she did went here," the bouncer replied.

"Oh thanks," Luke mumbled gratefully, and the three of them rushed in.

When they entered the lounge, a large group of people was crowding around in the middle of the floor. Han motioned for Chewbacca to stay still, while he and Luke made their way among the crowd. Han secretly wished that what he was thinking of were not true.

Upon seeing the source of the commotion, Han realized that he was right, all along.

Leia was _kissing_ another guy.

_How could you? _He thought. Luke stood by beside him, dumbstruck. The crowd was still going wild, excited at the scenario.

Han's fist clenched angrily, and he could feel his world crashing down. His heart broke, along with his fantasies that he and Leia would be together. There was no hope for him that she would ever love him back.

**A/N: **Leia kissing another guy+ Han BIG TROUBLE! The perfect equation for disaster and broken hearts!

The next chapter would be even more exciting, as Han gets involved in a fight with Ross! So stay tuned! RR please!


	14. You Love Her, Don't You?

"My Sassy Princess"

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the characters of Han Solo, Leia Organa, and everything Star Wars. Just using it for this story. Haven't I told you that I don't own the title of this fic? I borrowed it from the title of a Korean movie, "My Sassy Girl". (A must-see!) Don't own their copyright. Stanza is from the song "I've Fallen For You" by Frenchie Dy. The singer named Ryza was my idea, so if there's actually a singer by that name, it's purely coincidental.

**A/N: **I've read all your wild reactions regarding the last chapter. Even if I'm breaking my own heart, I just have to add the scene of Leia being kissed by another guy. Don't worry, folks, THEY WILL END UP TOGETHER! (Woohooo!)

**SUMMARY: **Han gives Manny Pacquiao a run for his money (Go, Han, Go!)

as he punches that asshole named Ross. Han ends up in detention.

CHAPTER XIV- "You Love Her, Don't You?"

He really couldn't take it anymore. Fists clenched in anger, he soon didn't knew what he was doing.

In one swift motion, Han managed to give Ross a big punch on the face, as Leia was able to break away from that unwanted kiss. The crowd went even wilder because of the fight scene. Ross was about to strike back, but before he could do it, Han gave him another punch on the nose. Ross fell to the ground in a heap, and when he raised his head, his nose and mouth were bleeding, and has a dark bruise around his eye. Leia, whose head was still reeling, and not just because of the liquor, lost her balance and staggered towards Luke, who was able to catch her.

"Are you all right?" Luke asked in a whisper as he helped Leia stood up. Leia was speechless and just nodded her head.

Hooting and wolf-calls echoed in the entire lounge, as this time, Ross fought back and punched Han on the nose. Han slammed against the wall and hit his forehead. Fuming with rage, anger, and annoyance, he disregarded that his forehead was aching so badly, and punched Ross once again.

"Han, stop!" Leia exclaimed. She was already worried that something bad might happen to him.

"How dare you to kiss her!" Han exclaimed as he punched him.

Ross fell again to the floor, and laughed mockingly at Han. "Ha!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "Why are you so jealous? Why, is she your girlfriend?" He got up and punched Han with his closed fist. Han fell to the floor and, even if he was already feeling dizzy, he wiped off his bleeding forehead and punched back, saying, "Don't you touch my princess again!" Because of what Han said, the crowd hooted in unison, jeering at him to fight back. Han was shocked at what he just said. _My princess? Is this really I?_

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" the crowd cried out. This urged Han to punch Ross even more.

"WOOOOOOOO!" the crowd cheered and hooted.

Among the crowd, Luke, who supported Leia, as she felt too weak to stand by herself, just watched, dumbfounded. Leia, on the other hand, couldn't believe what Han had said. _Don't you touch my princess again! _It was still echoing in her head, and she felt it in her heart that he truly meant it. _Does he really love me? _She thought, awestruck.

The fighting continued until the manager of _Stairway to Heaven _arrived, and ordered Han and Ross to stop. The wild screams of the crowd died down as the manager came to intervene.

Han gave Ross one last punch, and felt Chewie's furry arms hold him back, while Luke and Leia stood nearby. Ross fell towards the manager, and he was able to catch him.

"Oh, it's you again, Ross!" the manager exclaimed in anger. "This is already your third offense in this bar! Did you kiss again another girl?"

Han, Luke, and Leia couldn't believe at what they heard. They looked at each other in confusion, thinking, _He did that for the third time?_

Ross pointed at Leia, smiling slyly at her. "Believe me, she's my girlfriend, and this guy appeared out of nowhere and punched me! Right, Leila?" He even had the gall to wink at her, black eye and all.

Leia felt enraged. Even though she was drunk, she heard what he just said and was very annoyed with it. She ran limping towards Ross and hit him on the head with her handbag. "You maniac! You just knew me for three hours!" she cried out as he continued to hit him on the head, while Ross covered his face with his arms. "I HATE YOU! YOU MORON, YOU NERF, I HATE YOU!" she screamed. This made the crowd even wilder than they were a while ago.

"Stop it, lady," the manager of the bar said as he went in front of Leia, trying to stop her from hitting. "We'll take this case to the Police Headquarters, okay?" Then he urged Ross to stand up and go with him, while Leia, Han, Luke, and Chewie followed suit. The manager looked back at the four and said, "Come with me and we'll report this case. This Ross guy is really a maniac."

The crowd watched in silence as the group went out of the lounge; the manager helping Ross, whose face was covered in bruises as he walked, Han, clutching his bloodied forehead while Chewbacca the wookie lingered, and Leia, whose arm was wrapped around Luke's shoulder as she walked with a limp. When they finally reached the exit, obnoxious Ross looked at Leia and gave her a wink, still taking advantage of her drunkenness. "Stop denying that you're my girlfriend, Leila," he whispered in a naughty voice.

Leia went up to hit him again. "You're not my boyfriend, you moron! And for your info," she shouted, her hoarse, drunken voice even louder, "MY NAME'S LEIA! LE-YA! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!" she screamed, followed by a punch on the nose.

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Later on, they were at the Bespin Police and Detention Headquarters. Leia was seated next to Luke, and in front of them were Han and Ross, who were black-and-blue, and stared at each other with dagger looks. Chewie stood behind Han, and so did the manager. At the side of the chairs, a police officer was seated at a table. He was filing the complaint of Leia against Ross.

"Case: Molestation and Harassment," the police mumbled while he typed on his computer. "Name of complainant?" he asked.

"Leia Organa," Leia replied while trying to sound sober.

"Leia...Organa..." the police officer typed. He stopped short for a while, and looked at Leia quizzically. "Wait a minute. Are you sure that's your real name?" The police had read articles about Princess Leia Organa, youngest Senate member and princess of the royal family of Alderaan. He was quite familiar with her name, although he had never seen how Leia actually looked liked in person. In Bespin, nobody knew how she looked like, except for the rebels at the Alliance. The papers never posted a picture of her, for security reasons.

"Of course it is!" Leia snapped back. "Do you think I would be lying to you?"

"Okay, okay, so you're Leia Organa," another police officer butted in with the conversation. He sat at a table in the corner of the room. "Just the other day, we arrested a deranged woman because she's claiming to be you. Lots of women here can have the ability to admit themselves as Princess Leia. We've been swamped with such cases during the past month, and please, don't add anymore to the statistics."

_Why would they want to be me? _Leia thought, confused. _Don't they know how hard it is to become me? Am I a celebrity here or something? Sometimes, I wish I were someone else. Maybe life for me would be easier that way._

"Sir, I'm telling the truth," Leia quipped up. "I have proof here that I'm really Leia Organa." She brought out her wallet from her bag, and took out a small, golden plastic card. She gave it to the police officer in front of her, and a group of police crowded around the officer. The police officer's eyes widened as he saw what was written on the card. Indeed, the woman in front of him, garbed in a tube top and mini skirt, smeared lipstick across her face, was Leia Organa. In the flesh.

"Oh, so you're really her!" the police who butted in exclaimed. Murmurs from the other police could be heard.

A female police with dark, curly hair, looked at Leia carefully. "I've read about you, and I didn't know that you'd be this pretty in person!" she exclaimed in admiration.

"Thanks for the compliment," Leia smiled sheepishly.

Han meanwhile was already growing irate over the way the police were treating Leia. _Like, they've never seen a petite brunette with big eyes. Why the celebrity treatment being showered upon her? _"Ummm..." Han pretended to cough in order to grab their attention. "Excuse me, enough of the dilly-dallying here," he said. The police officer and the others turned their eyes on him. "I think we should get to business now, and get it over with this case." He looked at Ross sharply and added, "So that this maniac would be going to jail." Ross grew angry again and was about to strike back, but Han managed to stop him just in time by twisting his wrist.

"OWWWW!" Ross exclaimed. He withdrew his hand away from Han and held his wrist, trying to relieve the pain.

The police officer typed again on his computer, and turned at the group of four men, a woman, and a wookie. "How did it all started?" he asked.

Han narrated the story. "I arrived at this bar, and this maniac was kissing..."

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After the long deliberation of the case, Ross was immediately brought to an insane asylum for treatment. They found out that it was the third time he kissed a girl in a bar, and for some time now, he would sit beside female customers of _Stairway to Heaven _and molest them. According to the manager, he became a maniac after losing his girlfriend to another guy. Not being able to cope with the loss, he found himself spending more time at the lounge, and, to his delight, molesting and kissing any girl he laid his hands on. Leia was his third victim, and she was relieved that right then and there, he was now out of her sight.

Han, meanwhile, was asked to spend a night in detention, for public misconduct. As he was led to his detention cell, he looked on as Leia, Luke, and Chewie prepared to leave. Leia looked back at Han. She looked like she was about to cry again. Then Luke urged her to go, and finally, they left.

Inside the cell, Han sat on the makeshift bed and buried his head in his hands. He felt angry and dismayed at Leia for kissing a guy in a bar. Even if the maniac initiated the kiss first, he felt betrayed. _How could you? _he asked himself again. _If only I was kinder to you, then maybe, we'd be together by now. These stupid feelings! Of all women, why do I have to fall in love with a princess? _

He took out her picture from his wallet, which he cherished keeping, and glared at her. "Don't worry, Leia Organa," he mumbled bitterly, his voice growing louder as he spoke, "I'll get over you. I don't even have a right to worry about you! I'm so stupid to fall in love with you! Who are you, anyway? You're the same as any other women out there! I'm sure to find someone else!"

Han felt even more frustrated as he looked at Leia's picture, her smile melting again all of Han's insides. But he suppressed his thoughts of how pretty she looked like when she smiled by saying, "You're not even pretty, don't you know that? You're too short, your eyes are too big, you're so white, you looked so scary at night, and add to that, your boobs are probably implants! What guy in his right sense would love to hang out with a girl who had breast implants? You're rich enough to afford implants, right?"

Han stopped when he heard the elderly police officer laughing in his seat nearby. He felt Han's gazed upon him and laughed even more as he stared at Han. "You make me laugh," he said, "with what you are saying." "You reminded me of myself when I was younger."

Han looked at the police officer, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You love her, don't you?"

A long silence followed. Han, knowing it was the truth, couldn't think of any words to say. He didn't know whether he should pursue his love for her, or just leave it at that, even though he felt his feelings for her growing stronger each day.

"I see it in your eyes that you do love her," the police finally spoke up. "I know you know you do. If I were you, don't let her go, no matter what happens." He sighed and continued, "When I was a young man, just like you, I fell in love with this rich young lady. But because of the fact that I was only a policeman, I was afraid to tell her how I felt because of my inhibitions. I lost her, and she married another man. It was too late when I found out later on that she loved me too."

Hearing this story tugged at his heartstrings. Han realized right then and there that he, too, couldn't bear to lose her. "I'm sorry," he told the policeman in a low voice, "that you have to lost her."

"That is why I'm telling this to you. So what had happened to me will not happen to you. If you love her, go for it! Tell her!" the police encouraged.

Han felt like it was the right thing to do, although still, he was apprehensive at telling Leia how he truly feels for her. "But..." he trailed off, "She's a princess. A senator. An aristocrat. And I'm just a good for nothing smuggler. Face it, a princess and a smuggler can't be together," he said sadly. Then he suddenly thought of Luke. _Maybe Leia would be better off with him. Yes, I get jealous every time she talks about Luke and how kind he is to her._

"Let go of all your inhibitions," the police replied soothingly to Han. "Both of you are human beings, and that makes you compatible enough with each other."

"But what if she likes somebody else?" Han asked with Luke in his mind.

"Don't jump to conclusions." The police realized that Han was talking about Luke. He remembered him being with them a while ago. "Are you talking about the blue-eyed guy who were with you a while ago?" he asked. "You're jealous of him, aren't you?"

Han blushed. "Well...sort of. Didn't you notice how close he was with her?"

"Yes, I sensed that they're very close with each other. But I guess that won't make them lovers, right?"

Han didn't manage to come up with a reply. The gray-haired policeman chuckled at him and said, "You really do love her, after all."

Nearby, a song was playing on the radio.

_I've fallen for you_

_Finally, my heart gave in_

_And now I'm falling in love_

_I finally know how it feels_

_So this is love..._

Han smiled a little. He recognized the song, and remembered that he once caught Leia singing it at the apartelle. It happened a day before he left for Tatooine.

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"_I've fallen for you...finally, my heart gave in..."_

_Han, who was sitting on the armchair turned around and saw the sight of Leia, who was walking around and singing to herself. A headphone was stuck in her ears, and she even closed her eyes and smiled to herself as she sang._

"_I finally know, how it feels... so this is love..." Leia continued with her singing. He saw her removed the headphone on her ears and hung it around her neck._

"_Well, well, well, I never knew our Princess-ness could carry a tune," Han joked as he saw her approach him. She frowned at Han as she sat on the sofa, embarrassed that Han actually heard her sing. Leia was the type of person who would never sing except when she was alone._

"_Why, what's bad with hearing me sing?" she asked snootily._

_Han smiled his lopsided smile at her. "Well, I never thought you could actually sing that well," he commented._

_Leia blushed at the compliment. But she tried to keep her composure and did not allow Han to see that she was affected with what he said. "Oh, when I like a song, I sing it," she said. _

"_Who sang that?" Han asked curiously._

"_Ryza," she replied with a smile. "She's my favorite singer. I like her songs." _

"_Never heard of her before." The only singer Han knew was the female vocalist of the Max Rebo band, the band who performs for Jabba at his palace, aside from those trying-hard humanoid singers who were now popular around the galaxy. _

"_Ryza was the grand winner of Alderaan Idol some few years back," Leia narrated. "Since then, I've become a fan, because of the way she sings her love songs. I'm glad she wasn't in Alderaan when it got blasted off, because during that time, she was having a concert here in Bespin." Her face saddened again upon her mention of her beloved home planet. _

_Han put an arm on Leia's shoulder. "Aw, don't be sad again. At least your fave singer's alive, and that makes you happy, isn't it?" _

_Leia smiled at him. "Yeah. Oh, by the way, do you want to hear this song?" She gave Han the headphone, and Han put it around his ear. He listened intently to the song, and found out that he liked it too. Han never liked listening to mushy love songs, but he actually liked this one. Is it because Leia likes it too? He wondered. _

_When the song was over, he gave her the music player. "You know what, your highness, I never imagined you being a fan of anybody else." He always thought of Leia as a serious type of person who had no time for fun, much more, watching singing contests on the Holo-Net and liking mushy love songs. "I never knew listening to these kind of music was your guilty pleasure."_

"_Well, it sure it is," Leia replied laughingly, not embarrassed at all that Han found out something about her that no one never knew. _

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Han looked at the ceiling of the detention cell as he lay down on his bed. By morning, he would be out of here. But he didn't know how he would face Leia. He promised the kind policeman that he would confess his love for her. When, he didn't know. He was still angry with her: angry for breaking his heart, angry for liking Luke better than him. Add to that his anguish over his feelings. _How hard it is to be in love, _he thought. _How can her icy-cold heart be so numb? How I wish I never had a heart so I won't be having these love problems. _

For Han, feelings meant weakness. But this time, he could not resist her. Leia drove him crazy in both senses of the word.

But he'd be crazier without her.

**A/N: **I enjoyed writing the part about Leia and her favorite singer, because I feel like I'm making her character more human. It was fun thinking of Leia and her guilty pleasure; listening to love songs. Ryza the singer's real life counterpart may be JoJo or Hilary Duff.

If you want to listen to the song "I've Fallen For You" by Frenchie Dy, log on to: http/ can hear the song itself. Tell me what you think of it!

Again, thanks for your support, and RR please! Stay tuned!


	15. I've Fallen For You!

"**My Sassy Princess" **

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars.

**SUMMARY: **Han goes home to the apartelle the next day and he and Leia fought again. (Han, you're so mean!)

**CHAPTER XV-"I've Fallen For You!" **

Luke, Leia and Chewie boarded a taxicab back to the apartelle. During the ride, Leia sat next to Luke and Chewie was in the front seat. For the first time, Leia's feelings of embarrassment over going to a bar and being kissed by a guy she barely knew sank in. She felt regretful, pathetic, and sorry for herself. _What would Han think about me? _She thought as the tears flowed down from her brown eyes. She caught her reflection in the window and realized that she forgot to wipe away the smeared lipstick stains across her cheeks. She didn't bothered anymore to grab her handkerchief from her handbag; instead, she wiped it off with the tips of her fingers.

Luke turned his head to check if she was all right. "Are you feeling well, Leia?" he asked.

Leia gazed at him with her teary eyes and couldn't control herself no longer. Right at that moment, she burst into pitiful sobs. As always, Luke allowed her to rest on his shoulder, and he stroked her head as she sobbed, while intently listening to her anguish.

"Luke..." she said in between sobs, "I'm...so...stupid... for acting this way. What would Han say to me? I don't want him to think of me as a cheap person..."

"No one wanted this to happen. It's okay." Luke replied soothingly. He felt grateful to be with Leia during her lowest moments, to have a chance to comfort her in her pain, although he was not the type who would take advantage of her. Even though he was intensely crushing on her (which guy won't want to have his crush resting on his shoulder?), he respected her still. Deep inside, Luke felt guilty to be having these feelings for her. He felt it was not right to be crushing on her, and he'd always know that they could never be more than friends. He knows she loves Han, although she would never show it. Leia was the sister he never had. _Maybe, _he thought, _I'm only feeling brotherly love for her. _

Not a word was said to each other during the rest of the trip. Leia had stopped crying, and Luke still allowed her to rest on his shoulder. He caught a whiff of her perfume as he gently stroked her curly hair, which was tied back in a high ponytail. _I love you too, Princess, _he thought. _But it's only superficial love. We're only meant to be as friends, and I accept that we can never be more than that. _He, too, was having a hard time figuring out his feelings when he first realized this, but now, he had a clear sense of his values. _I love you as the sister I never got to have. _

The taxicab stopped in front of the apartelle. Chewie went out first, and Luke handed the payment to the driver. He gently nudged Leia, saying, "We're home," but Leia just plopped down on his lap. _She passed out because of her drunken state, _he thought. Luke went out of the cab first. He knelt down and placed her arms around his neck, then carried her on his back all the way to their pad.

When they arrived at Leia's room, Luke carefully lay her down on her bed. He removed her high-heeled sandals and placed them nearby before tucking her into the covers. He pulled a seat and sat at her side, and watched her sleep. Chewie grunted from behind, giving him dagger looks, and he understood what he meant. "Don't worry, friend," Luke said smilingly. "I won't take away her highness from Han. I know they love each other very much, but they're too afraid to show it, because of their inhibitions."

Chewie nodded his head and understood the fact that Luke had no hidden agenda with the way he showed kindness to Leia. In his language, he asked Luke if he would stay.

"I'll keep watch over her. I hope that's okay with you."

Chewie nodded his head in approval, and left.

Luke tried his best to be awake as he kept vigil over the sleeping princess, until he felt his eyes growing heavy. Soon, he too, had fallen asleep at the side of her bed.

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The next morning, Han was finally freed from his detention. He arrived at the apartelle and the first thing he did was to find Leia. He thought of going to her room, and sure enough, she was peacefully asleep on her bed. That gave him relief. But when he saw Luke asleep at the side of her bed, he felt his jealousy growing stronger once again.

Luke stirred in his seat and woke up. He rubbed his eyes, and caught Han standing by the door, glaring at him. Han motioned for him to come, as if wanting to say something. When he stood up and approached Han, the first thing he said to Luke was, "I want to talk to you."

Both went outside the room and stood by the corridor. Luke knew that Han was jealous with him, and he felt the urge to ask him. But he didn't want to offend Han, who was still in a foul mood from last night's fiasco, so he tried to be polite instead. "I brought her home, because she was drunk, and I hope you didn't mind it," Luke said in a low voice.

"And so, you liked it, huh?" Han shot back, his voice tinged with jealousy. "I know how much you enjoy having her all to yourself, since you get to stay close next to her and have her cry on your shoulder."

"It's not what you've been thinking..."

"But what do you call that?" Han asked Luke angrily, trying to keep his voice toned down, even though he felt like shouting at Luke that very moment and punching him. "I know you like her too."

"Han, I only liked her as a friend, and I can never go far beyond than that," Luke replied. "Why are you so mean to her? You kept on saying that you don't like her, that she's not your type, but why are you so jealous every time we're alone together? How long are you going to continue treating her that way?"

Han was dumbstruck. He now knew that Luke had an idea that he was treating Leia shabbily. _She must have told Luke everything. _He tried saying something, but he was at a lost for words.

"Why can't you speak there, huh?" Luke asked. "Maybe you realized that she's the most important person for you. You don't like her, but you love her. So much. If I were you, I..."

Han grabbed Luke by his collar, not wanting to hear him speak further. "Would you just shut up!" he asked aloud. He couldn't take anymore the truth, coming from Luke, and saying it right into his face.

Luke broke away from Han's grip. He looked at him piercingly. He was getting annoyed with Han and his hot temper. It was making his blood boil. He turned to leave, and left a parting word for him. "If you're thinking that Leia and I are an item, you're very wrong in doing so. Han, she loves you." Then, he left.

Han became even more dumbstruck. _She loves you. _Part of him wanted to believe it, but another part of him, his inhibitions, won't want to. It ruled over him. _Maybe Luke said that to make me feel better. I guess Leia liked him, after all, and he's trying to deny it. Maybe they're even an item, now, and they're keeping it a secret, _he thought with angst.

"Luke, where are you?" Han heard Leia ask. She had awakened from her sleep. Hearing this made his blood reach the highest boiling point. Han turned around and saw Leia, who walked barefoot, and still garbed in that attention-calling tube top and asymmetrical mini-skirt. Her once-neatly pony tailed hair was in a mess, strands hanging down from the side of her face.

"Oh, Han, it's you," Leia said in a low voice. She tried to smile at him, saying, "I hope you're okay. I'm sorry for what had happened last night, and..."

Han cut her off. He looked at her angrily and said, "Take that thing off, won't you?"

"What?" she asked confusingly. She could still feel her head ache from her hangover.

"Why are you wearing those things? It makes you look like a whore! Go dress up in something else!" Han stormed off to the living room, and Leia followed him.

"What did you said?" Leia asked again.

"You nerf-brain, I said that you change in other clothes because you look like a prostitute in those things!" Han said angrily.

Leia felt insulted at what he said. "What do you care if I look like a prostitute? I have the right to dress up any way I want to! And don't I have a right to go out at night? Why, you go out there too, isn't it?"

"What gives you the idea to dress up like that and go out at night?" Han asked, shouting.

"Why is the way I dress up becoming an issue?" Leia shot back.

"You...look...so cheap in those." Han said carefully, as if trying to get into her head what he just said. "People think you're a whore or some call girl, and looked what happened! Some maniac molested you and kissed you!"

"Han, I never expected that would happen, and..."

"And you liked that experience, huh?"

"Why are you saying those things to me!" Leia exclaimed. "Why do you think of me that way? I just want to have fun!"

"And have fun, you will!"

"Stop acting like you're my mother!"

"Your parents probably brought you up shabbily, that's why you're acting as if you don't give a damn to other people around you!"

"Don't you insult my parents that way!" Leia exclaimed angrily as she went up to Han and slapped his cheek. She hated it when somebody insults her deceased parents, more so if from people who never really knew them.

"Ah, you're fighting back now!" Han exclaimed sarcastically. "You don't even try to see that I'm just concerned with you!"

"Concerned? Concerned with me? Hah!" Leia let out a slight, yet very annoyed laugh. "You keep telling me that I'm a nerf-brain, whore, call girl, prostitute, and you call that concerned? Han, I'm so sick of you!" Leia cried out as she stormed away from him. Han followed her and grabbed her by the arm, making her turn to him. He looked at her intently, and by that time, Leia was on the verge of tears. Still, she tried to blink back her sobs.

"Your highness, I'm also very sick of being with you!" Han hissed.

"Let go of me!" Leia cried, as she broke free from Han. She was now full to the brim. She knows that she loves him, but now, her angst and anguish were taking over her. _How could you be so insensitive? _

She felt her tears fill up her eyes. She had her back faced on Han, and with her trembling shoulders, Han knew that she was offended with the things he said and was crying. Han placed his hand on her shoulder and tried to apologize, but Leia shoved him off.

"Your highness, I'm sorry if..."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Leia exclaimed as she turned to face Han, her tears visibly streaming down her cheeks. "Sorry's just an empty word! Why are you hurting me this way! Don't you know how hard it is to have these feelings for you!"

"I didn't know that what I was doing was hurtful and..." Han mumbled, trying to fill up the void.

"You're so insensitive, don't you know that! I hate you for making me feel this way! For being so mean to me, that is! And I never wanted this to happen, but I just can't help myself! Yes, you're right! I am a nerf-brain! I know you're angry with me, but you know what, I never dreamed of kissing any other guy except you!" Then Leia burst into sad, loud sobs, and covered her face with her hands.

She felt very angry with Han with his mean kind of treatment towards her. Yet, she still loved him despite of that. It made her sick, but she had no choice but to face up to the truth. She removed her hands from her face, and with all the courage she could muster, she told him, despite her tears, "The moment...that I'm afraid of to happen... has finally come true. Han... I've fallen...for you. But you will never catch me." Then Leia turned away and ran, crying.

Han just stood by in silence, not knowing what to do or what to think of. _She's right. I'm so mean to her, _he thought regretfully. _I should have chosen my words carefully. But, even I myself don't know what to do! You're insensitive too, don't you know that? How long are we going to go on hurting each other? _

_I never dreamed of kissing any other guy except you! _Those words were still echoing in his head. Han smiled, albeit a bittersweet one. _I've fallen for you, but I'm also afraid you might not catch me. _He clenched his fists in angst, uncertain whether he should pursue his love or not. _But now that I've heard the truth from you, I know you're serious. Still, a princess and a smuggler like me can never be together. You deserve someone else. I'm so mean to you. You don't deserve me._

Inside the room, Leia was still crying.

_You'll never be able to catch me, Han. _

Will they end up in each other's arms?

**A/N: **This is the question Han and Leia were thinking about in this chapter. The next chapter will be events from the movie "Empire Strikes Back" (in Hoth), and with that, the continuation of their up and down love story. Don't worry readers, I assure you that THEY WILL END UP TOGETHER! (Yay!) How will that happen, the next chapters will answer. So give me your reviews please, and stay tuned!


	16. Beautiful

"My Sassy Princess" 

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars and I just borrowed the title of a Korean film called "My Sassy Girl", only the last word was changed. No infringement here! Just pure, clean, fun! Ok, due to the inquiries of one reviewer, this fic was partly inspired by the Korean movie "My Sassy Girl" (just the title), bec. I think it fits Leia well. It's more inspired by a Korean romantic-comedy series entitled "Full House".

**SUMMARY: **It's back to business again. After the fight of Han with Leia, they all rushed to Hoth that afternoon to prepare for the big battle with the Storm Troopers. Leia tried to concentrate with the rebellion, but still, their feelings keep getting in the way.

**CHAPTER XVI- Beautiful**

No thanks to the fight they had that morning, throughout the rest of the day, Han and Leia weren't on speaking terms with each other. The bar incident weren't discussed further. That very day, they have to leave their apartelle, along with Luke, and fly immediately to Hoth to prepare for the battle with the Storm Troopers. The only words Leia uttered to Han were, "We have to leave immediately for Hoth and prepare for battle. Pack your things now."

"I will. Wait for me at the Falcon," Han replied, while doing his darndest best not to speak any more. _I might hurt you again with the words I say, Princess. _

A moment later, when the three of them boarded the Falcon, along with Chewbacca, R2D2, and C3PO, tense silence filled the entire atmosphere in the plane. During the whole duration of the trip, Han and Leia ignored each other as if they don't exist, and Luke tried to think of ways to break the gap between the two of them. He too, was affected with the way they acted towards each other. He nudged Chewie and asked him for suggestions on ways that he could make either the two of them talk, but Chewie just told him to keep silent to avoid further trouble.

"You're right, friend, less talk, less mistake," Luke replied to the wookie in a whisper.

Meanwhile, as Han flew the Falcon, he was lost in his thoughts. He remembered the day when he first rescued the Princess from the Death Star three years ago, and his first impression upon seeing her. He was with Luke that time, and they got along pretty well, even though Luke found him bossy. Leia was 19 at that time, and Han was surprised at the way she acted with authority and her ability to cope over the lost of her home planet. Such maturity was uncommon for a 19-year old girl. Add to that, her white dress and her hair, which was tied in buns along the sides of her head, made her look older. It made Han think, _She's one type of girl whom I don't want to mess around with. Still, I'll try to tap into her humane side. _

At the far corner of the Falcon, Leia sat by her self, also lost in her thoughts. She thought of the day she first met Han and Luke, and her first impression upon seeing Han was not so well. At first sight, she found Han scruffy-looking, a far cry from her dream guy. She liked Luke better though, and she knew she had a crush on him the first time she saw him, although her feelings for him died down as time passed by. She also remembered the time when General Rieekan asked Han to keep watch over the Princess by living with her, for security's sake.

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"_WHAAT!" Han and Leia said in unison as they stared at each other with wide eyes upon hearing the news. "You want us to live with each other!" they exclaimed as they pointed at one another._

"_Yes, you've heard that right," Gen. Rieekan smiled. "For security's sake, Solo, you have to keep watch over the Princess twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She needs protection against would-be assassins and secret spies of the Empire."_

"_Doesn't she have bodyguards?" Han asked vehemently._

"_We don't want to trust her with a complete stranger, and I think you would do the job well, Captain Solo," Mon Mothma chimed in. _

_Han and Leia looked at each other in horror. They already see each other everyday, and everyday, for the rest of the three years they've known each other, they've always gotten at each other's nerves. Han was annoyed at Leia because of her bossiness, uncontrollable temper, and her irritability, and Leia hated Han because of his cockiness and "I'm one gorgeous guy" demeanor. Now, they were asked to live under one roof day and night. _

"_Can't Luke do the job instead?" Han asked again._

"_Luke will be very busy because he's scheduled to leave for Dagobah to train under the Jedi master, Yoda," Rieekan replied. "I've arranged a pad for you guys in one of the city apartelles. Tonight, you'll go there, and from now on, you'll live with each other."_

_Han's face painted an expression of complete dislike upon the offer. Still, he had no choice but to follow the General's orders. Sheesh, I'll have to deal with this bitchy princess 24/7, he thought in disgust. "Okay," he agreed, in a voice toned with apprehension. "But, can't you give me a manual entitled 'How To Deal with Leia Organa 24/7?'" he asked jokingly, and smiled at Leia in a cocky manner. _

"_Shut up you nerf!" Leia nudged Han strongly in the ribs. "Ow!" Han exclaimed. He glared at Leia, and she glared back at him. _

"_What did you said?" Rieekan asked._

"_Oh nothing," Han smiled sheepishly. "I just think it'll be fun to live with Ice Princess" he mumbled, as Rieekan and Mon gave them the go-signal to leave the hall. _

_Oh great, I'll be stuck with this Nerf Herder, Leia thought, rolling her eyes. _

_Oh great, I'll be stuck with this bitch of a princess, Han thought, also rolling his eyes in disgust._

_Both looked at each other, and at the same time, they stuck their tongues out. _

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Those memories made Leia smile a little, remembering how childish they acted as they stuck their tongues out. At first, they really hated each other. _If only I could bring back the days when we acted silly towards one another, _she thought. _But things are different now. Aside from the Rebellion, I have to deal with these newfound feelings towards Han. Love. Of all men, why do I have to fall in love with a nerf herder? _She thought, dismayed. It was not funny anymore, considering how serious she felt towards him, even though he's annoying and everything. _Maybe there's one thing I can do not to think about this too much, _she thought. _And that is, to concentrate more on the Rebellion and act as if he's not around. _

Han was also thinking of the same thing.

_Just act as if she's not around, _he reprimanded himself. _Forget your feelings for her, and get real! _

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(The Next Day...)

Leia walked to the mess hall by herself. She was swamped with work regarding plans on battle, point of attack, and the number of troops who were going to participate. She tried so hard to focus on the Rebellion, but still, Han bothered her thoughts, and she found it hard to shake him off her mind. Much more, Han had bugged her to make up with him since the day they arrived at Hoth, and her office desk was filled with "I'm Sorry" note cards from Han. _How corny, _she thought, as she dumped the note cards in the trash bin underneath her table. She was kind of touched with this sweet gesture, but she believed Han was not sincere in doing this. _After we made up, we'll be fighting again, _she thought sadly. Her pride was eating her up, and it was one reason why she didn't want to make up with him. She wanted to forget her feelings, but the more she did, the more it drove her crazy.

Upon arriving at the mess hall, she saw Luke together with General Rieekan and Wedge, one of their comrades. She felt tempted to sit with them, but she sensed that they're having a good time, what with the way they were laughing so hard, so she decided to sit down further from them, but near enough so she could hear what they're talking about. She chose a place a table away from them. _I don't want to bother their company, and they might talk about Han and I again. Here I go with my eavesdropper instincts, _Leia thought, annoyingly amused at her gossipmonger side.

"I'm kind of nervous with the battle about to happen," Luke said.

Rieekan tapped him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Skywalker," he replied. "You'll make it through. After that, you're off to Dagobah."

"Don't worry, you have your inspiration in sight," Wedge smiled at him mischievously. Leia realized that he was referring to a girl Luke was crushing on. _Who could that be? _She wondered.

Luke's crush on the Princess was no secret among the group of friends. "What makes you crush on her anyway?" Wedge asked him.

"Oh," Luke trailed off dreamily, "She's a strong woman, a fighter, intelligent, and..." He stopped short for a while, "She's..." It was obvious that Luke was having a hard time saying to the other two that he found her pretty. Leia pressed her back harder on her seat, eager to hear what Luke will say. She realized that they were talking about her, and she was very flattered upon knowing that Luke was crushing on her. That took her mind off Han for a while.

"Say it!" Wedge and Rieekan exclaimed.

Luke took a deep breath. "She's beautiful." He blushed deeply as he said those words.

"Beautiful!" Wedge and Rieekan hooted teasingly at him. "Hey, you're in love!"

Leia could feel herself blush as she heard Luke say those words. _He thinks I'm beautiful! _She thought dreamily, very, very flattered. At that moment, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the universe.

"You'll be dead with Han once he finds out," Rieekan reprimanded him.

"Oh, come on, I'm not in love with Her Highnessness," Luke said. "Just a crush... and I've accepted that we can never be more than friends," he added.

"What makes you think so?" Wedge asked. "She and Han are not an item yet, and you're free to court her anytime you want."

"Nah, I don't think I can do that," Luke replied, shaking his head. "I leave her to Han, and I only care for her like she's my sister. At first, I was confused with my feelings, but thankfully, I got it all figured out. Just a crush, and nothing else more."

"Just a crush, huh?" Han happened to pass by their table and had overheard what Luke had said. The three grew silent upon hearing Han and his haughty tone, and Leia slumped back in her seat. _Nerf Herder's here again, _she thought.

Han glared at Luke, as if he was going to eat him alive. "Is it true that you're crushing on Ice Princess?" he asked, his voice sounding jealous like the way he did when he saw him the other day.

"Han, don't be so jealous. It's only a crush and..." Wedge trailed off.

"I kind of knew you and Leia are an item." Han said angrily as Rieekan motioned for him to sit next to him. He placed his lunch tray and glared at Luke dirtily.

"Nothing's going on between the two of us, I assure you," Luke said to Han matter-of-factly. "Why are you so angry at me? Maybe you've realized that..." Luke planned to tell Han about the feelings he was hiding.

"Don't you say that to me right in my face!" Han exclaimed, poised to punch Luke in the nose. But before he could do so, Luke grabbed hold of his closed fist and was able to stop him.

He looked at Han piercingly and said, "I never knew you could be such a coward, Captain Solo," he hissed. "I can't believe you don't have the guts to be man enough and tell her how you feel." With that, Luke stood up and went away. Wedge and Rieekan looked at each other, and with Han in their presence, they spoke no more about the issue.

Leia continued on with her meal, still unnoticed by Wedge and Rieekan, who was a table away from her, thankful that they didn't knew she was near to them. But Han did. She stood up and walked away, and Han saw her leaving. He excused himself for a while, and ran after Leia, who was walking at the corridor.

"Hey, wait up!" Han exclaimed. Leia turned to face him and gave him a dirty look.

"What do you want?" she asked bossily.

"I..." he stammered. "I think you've heard everything Luke had said about you."

"I did," she said, tilting her head sideways and raising an eyebrow at Han. "And I'm so happy he appreciates me better than you do."

Han felt offended with what she said. She was right. Han had never shown an inkling of appreciation towards her during the entire time they lived together.

Han just stood by and looked at her emptily. Leia frowned at him, saying, "What are you looking at me for?" she asked. "I thought you don't like staring at ugly girls like me."

He felt more offended when she added, "At least one person here thinks I'm the most beautiful woman he'd seen in his entire life, and that's Luke," she said, trying to sound like she was making Han annoyed. "Oh, by the way, I have to go now. I'll think of ways to make Luke ask me out. Bye." Leia said snootily, and she went off.

Han knew that Leia was saying it to make him jealous. And she was successful in doing so. Han felt his face burn with jealousy over Luke, and Leia was doing it on purpose. She seemed to be enjoying it. _But it's also me to blame, _Han thought to himself, as if trying to be consoled with the truth he knew. He never expected that the under-appreciated princess whom he lived with was the woman he'd be willing to give everything.

_I've always thought you were ugly. But you're now the most beautiful woman for me, _Han thought with honesty.

Because that's what she really is.

Beautiful.

**A/N: **As the song goes, "_I don't want another pretty face, I don't want just anyone to hold, I don't want my love to go to waste, I want you and your beautiful soul..._" ("Beautiful Soul" by Ryan Cabrera-did I got it right?) Mush overload again. (. ) This stanza from the song best describes this chapter. Han's just sour-graping by saying she's ugly, because of his inhibitions with his feelings towards her. Leia's pretty-ful, right fans:) Oh, I need help. In what movie did Luke learned about Leia being his twin sister? Is it ESB or ROTJ? Can you make my mind clear about this? Thanks a lot, and RR please! Stay tuned!


	17. Closer to You

"My Sassy Princess" 

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars. Just using it for fun.

**SUMMARY: **A "Rebel Olympics" was held to boost the morale of the troops. And this brought Han and Leia closer to each other, which was against their will, but it was something they've always wanted. (**A/N: **Don't worry, readers, they get to kiss later on. Watch out for it!)

CHAPTER XVII- Closer to You 

_A Rebel Olympics? _Leia thought in apprehension upon reading the request form. She looked at Threepio, her brows furrowed. "What is this for?" she asked.

"Oh, Mistress Leia, it's something to boost the morale of the troops before the battle." the droid replied, his mechanical eyes glowing.

"Whose idea was it, anyway?" she asked. _What would be the reason why somebody would suggest this two days before the battle is about to start? _"Isn't this too late?"

"I think we have enough preparation for this, your highness," Threepio said. "In fact, some of the rebels are already preparing outside for the events."

"What events?"

"Some ball games, an obstacle course, a three-legged race, and that's it." Threepio knew that it was the suggestion of Wedge and his group of friends, but the droid bothered not to tell her anymore.

Leia looked more carefully at the paper in her hand. She was first hesitant to sign it, thinking, _I don't want to have anything to do with this. _But then she thought, _Maybe this request is asked for good reasons, and it might as well boost the morale of the troops. _ She grabbed a pen and signed her name at the bottom of the paper. "Okay. This will be for the common good, and I agree with it," she said, as she handed Threepio the paper. She watched as Threepio bade her farewell before going out of her office.

_I think this so called "Olympics" will be good for the troops, _she thought. _I just wish that they wouldn't be asking me to participate in the games. _Leia suddenly had a hunch that she was in it for the embarrassment. She just can't imagine herself running around and getting dirty, as she wants to maintain her whole image thing with the Alliance, as a serious and no-nonsense woman who meant business. But little did she knew that Wedge suggested it so that she'll be closer with Han, and this might serve as a chance for them to make-up.

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"Miracle of miracles!" Wedge exclaimed as he read the paper posted on the bulletin board at the hangar. "Ice Princess did sign it!" The notice was now posted on every bulletin board in the Rebel Base, and it was requesting the troops to participate in the "Rebel Olympics", which was meant to boost the morale of the troops.

"Why did you suggest it, anyway?" Luke asked.

"Actually, this is meant to bring Han closer to the Princess, so be quiet about it. It's our little secret," he whispered to Luke.

Luke shook his head. "Pie in the sky. You'll never get her to participate in the games, much more if it's meant to bring her closer to Han." It was widely known among them that Han and Leia were not in good terms with each other, and it had been the topic of juicy gossip for three days now among the troops, making them wishfully postulate on why they aren't speaking with each other.

"How would you get her to participate in the games without making her back out, like she has no choice?" Luke asked Wedge curiously.

Wedge smiled a mischievous smile, as if he's hiding the biggest secret in the universe. "Oh, don't worry, I'm in charge of it," he said.

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The games were held in the middle of the afternoon. All the rebels participated in the games, and Leia had never seen them looking this happier since the day they arrived at Hoth. _It did boost their morale, _she thought. After two hours of watching ball games like ice hockey (on the frozen lake in Hoth), the last two events were three-legged race and obstacle course, in which four pairs of partners were going to ran around over poles, skip on ropes, and skate across the frozen lake until they reach the finish line. The winning pair would then battle it out against each other on the obstacle course, until a winner is declared.

"Okay folks, now it's time for the three legged race!" Wedge exclaimed on the speakers, his voice blaring loudly enough to be heard. He was hosting the event, and he felt excited as he now planned to carry out his plan. "The mechanics are," he read, "Four pairs of partners, a male and a female, are required to ran around five poles prepared for each of them and skip on ropes. After that, they'll be skating across the frozen lake until one of them reaches the finish line. Then the two of them will be obligated to join the obstacle course, until one of them is declared as winner. In short, they'll be racing against each other."

The crowd cheered wildly as Wedge read out the names of the contestants, which he randomly picked from a container, which contained a list of the names of the male and female members in the Alliance. The first three pairs called out went in front of the field, nervous and excited at the same time. Then Wedge picked out the last male name in the container.

"Who could this be?" he asked as he opened the tiny piece of paper. It had Han's name written on it, and Wedge did that on purpose. "Oh!" he exclaimed, pretending to be surprised. "The last guy to complete the set of four will be..." he paused for a while and then blurted out, "Captain Han Solo!"

"WOOOOOOOO!" the crowd cheered. Han, who was falling asleep on one corner out of boredom, was awoken to the sound of the wild hoots from the crowd. "What's happening?" he asked Luke, who was seated next to him.

"You're asked to join the three-legged race!" Luke told him. He too, knew about Wedge's plan, and he thought it was going perfectly. But he tried not to let his expression give him away.

"What?" Han asked confusingly. Luke explained to him the mechanics of the race and upon hearing it, Han wanted to back out. "No way will I be joining in that!" he cried out.

"Captain Han Solo, go down here, right now!" Wedge exclaimed on the speakers.

"Wedge, you idiot, I won't be joining there!" Han exclaimed vehemently. "Go find somebody else to join!" he shouted out loud.

"Rules say participants for the three-legged race will be randomly chosen. In this case, you have to participate, as you were chosen from the list of names."

Han's voice was drowned by the shouts of the crowd, screaming, "GO HAN GO!" "GO DOWN NOW!" His ears felt like being blasted off by the sounds, which made him annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. _What kind of a fcking rule is this? _Han thought to himself as he went down from the bleachers and into the open field. He had no choice but to participate, and make a fool out of himself. Then he became curious, thinking, _I wonder who'll be my partner? _He looked at the crowd, and felt relieved that many females were still available to join the race. _At least that'll take my mind off Leia for a while, _he thought, relieved. He had not spoken to her for three days now, and he didn't felt the need to do so, except when there's something important to be discussed about regarding Alliance matters.

"And last, but not the least, our female partner for Han," Wedge said out loud on the microphone. "Who could this be...?" he mumbled, as he picked out a piece of paper from the container of female names. He knew it had Leia's name written on it, and he smiled as he read out her name. "OH, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!" he exclaimed. _My plan is going perfectly! _he thought. "Han's partner will be... make a guess folks!"

Leia froze in her seat. The crowd was shouting out her name. _Oh no, it can't be, _she thought dreadfully. Her fear elevated when she heard Wedge calling out her name, and she was right with what she's thinking of.

"HAN'S PARTNER WILL BE... OH MY GOSH... IT'S PRINCESS LEIA!"

The crowd went even wilder than they were a while ago, as the screams and hoot calls filled the entire place. Leia's blood froze when she heard that she was asked to participate in this race with Han. She secretly wished she would just evaporate in her seat, and don't want to go on anymore facing more embarrassment. She and Han were the topic of gossip for days on end, and she knew that the others would gossip behind her back. It irked her, as if she and Han were some showbiz couple.

"YOUR HIGHNESS, GO DOWN HERE NOW!" Wedge called out to her.

"YOU IDIOT, NO ONE TELLS ME WHAT TO DO HERE!" Leia exclaimed, fuming. Wedge was amused that she had the same reaction like Han did.

"GO PRINCESS!" the crowd screamed excitedly. "WOOOOHOOO!"

"TOGETHER AGAIN!" a group of female rebels screamed in delight.

She stared at Luke, who urged her to go for it. "It'll be only for a while," he assured her. "Let go of your Ice Princess facade," he told her nicely.

She knew that Luke meant well, and realized that she has no choice but to go down there and face all the cheering crowd. She was stuck in a moment she couldn't get out of. When she finally reached the field, Wedge motioned for her to stand by Han, and this made the crowd wilder than ever. She tried to ignore their irritating, gushing screams, and looked blankly at Han, who looked back at her in the same way. Then Wedge blared out loudly again.

"All contestants start tying your ankle against your partner's ankle, as this will be a three-legged race. You'll be racing against each other as you ran around the five poles, skip on the rope, and skate across the frozen lake as you get to the finish line. Whoever reaches the finish line first will be obligated to join the obstacle course, as you and your partner will race against each other this time." Wedge explained again the rule.

Han motioned for Leia to stay by his right side. "Place your left ankle next to my right ankle," he said. With that, he started tying her ankle against his own one. Then both stood up, supporting each other. "Just do as I told you," he whispered to her. Leia just nodded her head and braced herself for the would-be embarrassing moment about to happen.

"ALL RIGHT, GET READY!" Wedge shouted. "ON YOUR MARK..." the four contestants prepared for running position, and Han made a mental note to support Leia firmly, as he realized he might find it hard to run because of her petite height. He might be braced to carry her, if needed.

"READY..."

Leia breathed deeply, and nodded at Han. Han winked at her and whispered, "We can do it!"

"GO!"

The crowd cheered wildly as the four contestants ran around the poles. Han and Leia were doing their best not to trip over each other as they ran, and soon, they arrived first at the place wherein they have to skip over a bundle of ropes tied in between two benches. The ropes were so close to each other, and Han wrapped his arm around her waist as they prepared to skip in between the ropes. Leia placed her arm firmly on his shoulder and made sure that her grasp won't make the two of them trip. Then they finally made their way in between the ropes. They were able to do this without speaking a word to each other, and for the first time, they weren't arguing about how to do things the right away. It was as if their thoughts were on the same wavelength, as they concentrated on what needs to be done. They were intent to finish this race and get over with it, even if they didn't win.

When they were finished skipping between the ropes, Leia turned her head and saw the next couple already on the verge of reaching them. The first couple tripped on each other while running on the poles, and this disqualified them, while the second one suffered a bad fall when they tripped on the ropes, and had to be assisted by the medics. The third one was about to reach them and Han nudged her that they should run now towards the lake before they could be reached. They ran fast enough, even though they were limping, and arrived shortly at the lake before the other couple could be finished with the rope course.

Amidst the hooting and cheering sounds of the audience, Han and Leia sat for a while and hurriedly put on the skating shoes without undoing their ankles, which was still firmly tied. They stood up, and started skating across the frozen lake while maintaining their tight grasp against each other, doing their best not to let their feet get undone. They realized it was hard to skate in a three-legged manner, more so with Han, who was having a hard time supporting the diminutive height of his partner.

"FIRST IN THE RACE ARE OUR FAVORITE COUPLE, CAPTAIN HAN AND HER HIGHNESS-NESS, PRINCESS LEIA!" Wedge exclaimed. He totally loved this whole scene, and assumed that maybe; they'll be on speaking terms with each other after this. More decibel-breaking screams and cheers could be heard among the crowd.

As they skated in the frozen lake, Han and Leia didn't looked at each other. He gazed at her, who had her eyes averted towards the finish line, and she didn't even look back. Through the cold, chilly, Hoth winds, he caught a whiff of her fragrant-smelling hair. _Must be the shampoo, _he thought. He tried not to let his thoughts wander off, as he found himself feeling that feeling again. _You only entered my mind once, and had never left it since. _Leia was trying not to be affected with her own emotions, now that Han was tied so closely to her. She felt electrocuted with the way he placed his hand on her waist.

They finally reached the edge of the lake, and with that, the finish line at the far end of it. They realized that they have to run towards it for sixty seconds, and felt the other couple drawing even closer to them. Leia was prepared to remove her skates, but Han told her, "Don't bother. We'll be running off right now."

"In this?" she asked, brows furrowed, and not knowing how to run across the snowy road in their skates.

"Trust me," Han said. He helped her get on her feet, and they started running towards the finish line in an awkward manner.

"LOOK WHO'S GETTING FIRST IN LINE! WILL THEY MAKE IT, FOLKS?" Wedge blared.

"YEAH! GO HAN! GO LEIA! GO!" The crowd cheered. Among the bleachers, Luke also joined in the cheering. He was enjoying this whole scene.

"WILL THEY MAKE IT?" Wedge asked loudly.

"YEEESSSS!" the crowd cheered.

As they got closer to the finish line, they began running faster than ever, as if they never ran so fast in their entire lives. The other couple was about to reach them, and it was not a problem for them anymore. One-meter closer now, and it's all over.

Then, the unexpected happened.

As they were about to get close to the finish line, Leia tripped on a rock hidden amidst the snow, and dragged Han along with her as she fell over. Both rolled over each other for a while, and when they stopped rolling, Han found himself face-to-face with the Princess. She was on top of him, and her face was shoved closely against his'. _Thisclose. _He felt her lips pressed against his. Both were lost in the moment, not mindful of the jeering crowds and Wedge hooting over the speakers romantically. Han secretly wanted time to stop and feel those warm lips pressed against his own, as if they were kissing.

He was jolted back to reality as Leia looked at him with wide eyes. In shock, she realized that they were already kissing, and pulled away from him, embarrassed. She looked up, and found that they had already torn the finish line the moment they tripped and rolled on each other. She nudged Han, and said, "Hey, we won!"

Han, whose head was still reeling from the "kiss", looked at her. "We did?" he asked absent-mindedly. She just smiled at him in agreement.

"OH, WHAT A SCENE!" Wedge exclaimed amidst the cheering crowds. "THEY KISSED, FOLKS!"

"WOOOOOO!" the crowd cheered romantically. Han couldn't believe his ears. _We kissed? You call that kissing? _he thought.

"NOT ONLY WE DID SEE THEM KISS, THEY ALSO WON! THEY WON THE THREE-LEGGED RACE! CONGRATS!"

As they walked back towards the main field, this time not tied to each other, Han looked at Leia and said, "I can't believe you're such a good kisser, your highness." He smiled, and actually meant the joke.

Leia wrinkled her nose at him in disgust. "Yuck! I didn't liked having my lips pressed against you, and it was just an accident!" she said in denial, although deep inside, she liked it, and longed for a deeper kiss.

_Yuck, and you liked it, I know. _Han thought. _Me too. _"Don't forget, we'll be against each other in the obstacle race," he said, pointing to the obstacle race course at the other side of the field.

"I'll beat you, Captain Solo! I'll make sure I will!" Leia exclaimed, and ran off ahead of him.

_Yeah, I'll let you beat me all you want, just let me get closer to you once more. _Part of his anger with her had died down, although he still doesn't have the heart to forgive her for what she did.

Leia thought of the same thing. _Allow me to beat you, and let me get closer to you once more, _she thought, smiling to herself.

**A/N: **I enjoyed writing this chapter! I loved the "accidental kiss" part. Wait for their first real kiss inside the Millennium Falcon in a future chapter! Stay tuned! RR please!


	18. Karaoke Girl

"My Sassy Princess" 

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the copyright of Star Wars. 'Nuff said. I borrowed some stanzas from the song "I'm Crazy for You" by Madonna. This chapter was inspired by the fic I've read entitled "Karaoke Night" by Melanie-Anne.

**SUMMARY: **Han beats Leia in the obstacle race during the Rebel Olympics, and as punishment, Leia gets to sing for "entertainment night" later on. (For those of you fantasizing about Leia singing, this chapter is for you. :) )

CHAPTER XVIII- Karaoke Girl 

"NOW FOR THE OBSTACLE RACE! IT'S CAPTAIN HAN SOLO VS. PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA!" Wedge excitedly announced on the speakers, and along with this, the thundering cheers of the crowds. It was enough to ruin the makeshift stadium because the rebels' excitement was on hyper drive.

Wedge explained what the obstacle race would be like. Han would compete against Leia, and they were required to skip rope first for ten times, ran around poles, make their way through rubber rings, make their way again through ropes tied in between benches, and back again, running towards the goal. Whoever reaches the goal first would be declared as winner.

As they were prepared to start, Leia looked at Han and said in a whisper, "I'll beat you this time!" Han winked at her and said, "Don't worry, the glory is all yours, your highness. But what if I win?" he asked jokingly.

"I won't allow that to happen. And I still won't forgive you for what you did." The bar incident and Han's anger over her was still indelibly etched on her mind, and she was still hurt with what he did.

"ON YOUR MARK... ARE YOU READY GUYS?" Wedge asked. Han gave him the thumbs-up sign.

"SET..." he paused for a while. "GO!"

The crowd went wild again as they watched Han and Leia try to beat each other on the obstacle race. Leia's weight was an advantage, as she was able to jump rope fast for ten times without stopping, and soon, she was already running around on the poles. Han, meanwhile, tripped while he jumped-rope, and he had to jump again for another ten times. Thankfully, he ran fast enough around the poles, and was able to get ahead of Leia.

Making his way through the rubber rings was the most difficult challenge for Han, as Leia was able to make her way easily through the rings. But he was able to get off the rings in no time, and soon, they were up again with each other when they made their way through the ropes almost at the same time. _Let me get first ahead of her, _Han thought as he tried to make his way through the ropes. He was fast enough, and he found himself running ahead of Leia, who was still trying to make her way through the ropes. He took his chance, and became the first person to reach the goal. Leia still tried to keep up with her running, but it was too late. Han had already won.

"AND LOOK WHO REACHED THE GOAL FIRST! IT'S CAPTAIN SOLO!" Wedge shouted on the speakers, and the crowd gave him a thunderous applause, along with wild cheers and screaming. Han turned his head to look at Leia, who frowned at him, dismayed that Han beat her in this silly game. He smiled mischievously at her, saying, "Oh, sorry for beating you, Your Highnessness," he sheepishly apologized. She looked at him, frowning even more, and with that, she stormed off. _Yes, this is just a silly game, all right, _she thought, _and I shouldn't feel bad about it. _But she can't explain to herself why her ego felt bruised when, for the first time, Han had managed to beat her. Han would allow her to get her way, but this time, this experience humbled her, and it made her realized that she couldn't get her way all the time.

Later on, as the rebels prepared to leave the makeshift stadium, and some were cleaning up the surroundings, Wedge announced on the microphone that an "Entertainment Night" would be held in the mess hall. This made the rebels even excited and happy than usual, and Leia was surprised with the unexpected announcement. She went up to Wedge on the announcer's booth and said, "Did I ask you to do this? It's not on the announcement!"

Wedge smiled at her and said, "Oh, Your Highness, I got a lot of request from the rebels here that they would like to have this before the big battle. And I guess it will do them well."

"Who do you think you are to approve orders and requests?" she asked, fuming.

Wedge, who was obviously pissed off with her bossiness, stood up and gave the microphone to her, while he stood by. Then Leia started speaking on the microphone.

"I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOUR REQUEST FOR THIS SO-CALLED ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT," she started off. All the people stopped at what they were doing and listened to her intently. She paused for a while before speaking and thought, _I think they want to unwind first before the big battle, so might as well allow them. I don't want to be a killjoy. _"AND SO I GIVE MY APPROVAL TO YOUR REQUEST. TONIGHT, AT EIGHT IN THE EVENING, IT WILL BE HELD IN THE MESS HALL, AND I HAVE TO MAKE ONE REQUEST: NO DRINKING OF HARD LIQUOR."

Leia felt it was a wise decision to allow them some fun, but she forbade the rebels to drink wine, as she didn't want them to be drowsy during the battle. "GOT IT?" she asked, her voice blaring all over.

"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" the rebels agreed. When Leia was about to leave, Wedge spoke again on the microphone. "OH I FORGOT, PARTICIPANTS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT WILL BE THE PEOPLE WHO LOSE IN THE GAMES," he said, while winking at Leia. Leia was shocked at what he said, and asked, "You want me to look like a fool?" Wedge ignored her and continued, "SO LOSERS, BETTER PREPARE A SONG OR DANCE NUMBER FOR TONIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WANTS TO JOIN THE KARAOKE SINGING, JUST GIVE ME A LIST OF YOUR NAMES! SO LONG, AND HAVE A GOOD DAY!" Then he signed off. Leia followed him as he went out, asking, "Don't tell me, I too have to participate for entertainment night!"

"Yes, you will, sweetheart," Han replied as he, along with Luke, approached them and walked with them back to the base.

"What kind of a laser brain idea is this, Wedge?" she asked furiously. This day, it seemed like as if fate was setting her up for double embarrassment. She felt like strangling Wedge for making this stupid rule that the losers in the games were to participate in the entertainment night.

"Rules are rules, your highness," Wedge told her, and with that, he left off before he could experience again the hot temper of Leia being lashed out on him.

"Hey! Come back here!" Leia exclaimed in a whiny tone. She turned to Han. "Did you gave him this idea?" she asked. Han shook his head, and with that, he said mockingly, "Oh come on! Why are you so scared of singing in front of us? I've heard you sing once, and your voice was great!" he complimented, remembering that he once heard her sing a few stanzas of a song when they were still in the apartelle.

"You did?" Luke asked in amazement. "Han said you can sing, why don't you give it a try?" he asked.

Leia felt flustered and irked. _What the hell am I being asked to sing for? _She was never the "performing arts girl". She hated karaoke singing, and she would never sing in public, except when she was all alone in her room, while listening to her music player. There, no one would make snide comments on how scratchy her singing voice sounded. During her schooldays, her friends would drag her off to spend a night singing at a karaoke lounge, and she would rather sit around there and watch her friends sing. When her friends would ask her to sing, they would never stop cajoling her until she would finally give in, against her will. And she has to endure the secret laughs of her friends while she sang, and it irked her very much. Worse, her friends would laugh harder when her score on the karaoke machine would be: _Never mind, just for fun! _Or _Forget it, buster, you have no singing career! _Her friend Winter could sing better than her, and she was no match for that.

"I'm tasked to approve the rules here, and now that I've approved this one, I allow you guys to have this. But I'm out of it!" Leia said.

"Hey, your highness, can you sing a few stanzas of your favorite song?'" Han requested her. Leia gave him a dirty look. Han continued to tease her, and said, "If you sing tonight, I owe you lunch until the war is over." He smiled that cute, lopsided smile of his, and Leia couldn't help but feel her heart melt in her chest. Only that smile of Han's can make her give away. But this time, she didn't allow herself to. "I can buy my own lunch, thank you very much, Captain Solo," she replied in a haughty tone. She tried to stop herself from blushing, as Han still had that charming smile plastered on his face.

"If you sing for us tonight, just this once, I'll not only buy you lunch, but also breakfast and dinner," Han bargained with her.

Leia turned to Luke, saying, "What am I to do? Don't you know how I hated singing in public? It's my worst nightmare!" Then she narrated how embarrassing it was for her to sing in a karaoke bar and have all her friends laugh at her, that's why she vowed never to sing in karaoke bars again, or in public.

Luke smiled at her, and it made her feel better. "It's just for fun," he whispered, "And you won't lose anything once they hear you sing."

"But I hate it when people laugh at me when I sing!" Leia exclaimed vehemently. "Oh, why do unwanted circumstances like this always seem to find me?" she added in despair.

Luke placed his arm around her. "As I told you, let go of your Ice Princess facade, and let lose once in a while. Just try singing your heart out, only for tonight." Then he added, "I'll be your biggest fan." He smiled, and Leia felt relieved. It made her change her mind, thinking, _I guess I have nothing to lose, after all. _She smiled at Luke, saying, "I'll sing for tonight."

Han heard what she said, and jokingly commented, "If you sing, and become a singer, I'll buy your album! I'm sure it'll go platinum!"

"Don't worry, Captain Solo, by tomorrow, I'll be changing my career." Leia shot back sarcastically. She was thankful that Luke relieved her with her worries, but now, she dreaded tonight. She felt sure Han would be there to heckle at her. _That nerf herder. _

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At eight in the evening, sure enough, the mess hall was filled with the rebels, talking animatedly and excited at the "Entertainment Night". Leia arrived there with Luke and Han, and they chose a place close enough to the makeshift stage. Soon, the program began. The losing ice hockey team did a dance number, while the participants from the three-legged race either sang a duet or by themselves, which made the audience roaring with cheers and applause. Leia never expected that some of the rebels in the Alliance were this talented, and didn't show any hesitation in performing that night. _Heck, they can sing better than me, _she thought, as she watched the girl who last sang went down the stage. Then Wedge, who was again the emcee, took over.  
"Thank you very much to our last performer." He paused and said, "At last, the moment you've all been waiting for... next singer would be our royal highness, Princess Leia Organa!" Leia froze in her seat upon realizing that she was next in line. The people were cheering for her to go up the stage, and she saw Wedge gave her a smile and a wink. She had no choice but to stand now and go up the stage, and when she finally got up, Wedge asked her a few questions.

"So, Your Highness, ready to sing? I've picked out a song on the karaoke for you, and you'll be singing it."

"Yeah, right, get on with it!" she said in angst, while trying to conceal her shyness and doubts brewing inside her. She looked from afar, and saw Han and Luke wave at her. Wedge went down the stage and played the music. She was surprised when she heard the song. It was one of the songs of Ryza, her favorite singer. She felt thankful that she knows how to sing it, having heard it many times on her player.

"Swaying room as the music starts, strangers making the most of the dark," Leia sang. She felt all ears were on her and her singing, realizing that the audience grew quiet and she couldn't hear a single noise from the pin-drop silence except the sound of her own voice. She concentrated instead on the song and tried to forget that she was singing in front of an all too eager audience. 

"_I see you through the smoky air," _she continued singing. _"Can't you feel the weight of my stare... you're so close but still a world away, what I'm dying to say, you bet..." _She realized that she could actually relate the song to Han. He was so near, yet so far.

"_I'm crazy for you, touch me once and you'll know it's true... I never wanted anyone like this, it's all brand new... you'll feel it in my kiss... I'm crazy for you."_

Back in his seat, Han felt affected with the lyrics of the song. _Why am I affected? _he thought as he listened to Leia sing the rest of the song. He admitted to himself that indeed, Leia _can _sing. He actually felt the longing in the song, and was sure that was what she was feeling. Right then and there, he wanted to go up the stage and kiss her. He, too, was also crazy for her, but still, his inhibitions were pulling him back. He felt like a weakling with the thought of proposing his love for her.

Leia was about to finish the song, and she was now reaching the high parts. She found it at easy for her to do so, as she was already carried away.

"_You'll feel it in my kiss because I'm crazy for you, touch me once and you'll know its true... I never wanted anyone like this... it's all brand new... you'll feel it in my kiss... I'm crazy for you... crazy for you..."_

The song ended, and when she was finished singing, the audience gave her applause, and some were even standing up. Cheers echoed from the room, along with wolf calls. Leia was dumbfounded at their reaction, and was touched that people appreciated with her singing. Speechless, she was only able to mutter a "thank you" into the microphone before she handed it back to Wedge. She immediately left the stage and returned to her seat.

She was relieved that her ordeal was now over, and it was surprising that she felt liberated from her inhibitions. Luke gave her a high five. "You can sing, don't you know that?"

"I never thought I could," Leia said smilingly. She turned around and looked for Han, as he was not in his seat. She didn't notice him leave until she went back. "Where did he go?" she asked Luke.

"He said he'll be out for a while and will return, but he never did," Luke replied.

Leia stood up. "I'll look for him." She went out of the mess hall and walked down the corridors hurriedly, while searching for Han's presence, until she spotted him standing at the door of the hangar. Leia felt an urge to approach him, but some unknown force was preventing her to do so.

Han, meanwhile, thought as he stood by the hangar's door, _I want to run away from these, but the more I do, the more it seems to find me. _He cocked his head and saw Leia standing at the distance. Even from afar, he could see the longing in her eyes. He couldn't fathom it out. It was something he didn't understand, but he could feel it in his heart.

Leia looked at Han, and also saw the longing in his eyes. _Are we seeing the same thing with each other? _she thought. Anytime now, she was going to give in. But she didn't. Han looked at her for the last time and ran further, until she could not see even his shadow.

As he ran back to his quarters, Han thought, _I'm dying to say this to you, but I can't. _He was good at running away from his feelings, and he would soon forget about it. But with her, the more he did, the more it plunged deeper into him. _I'm crazy for you. _

Leia walked around, dismayed that she didn't even have the courage to go up to Han and tell how she truly felt at that moment. But just like him, something pulled her back. She too, wanted to ran away from it all, but the more she did, she felt herself going mad if she'll just find herself one day sobbing over a love meant to be. _What would I follow? My heart or my brain? _Leia was a rational person, but with this, she felt her head battling with her heart.

_If I'll lose him, I can't take it. I don't want to lose my love because I followed my brain._

She too, was crazy for him.

_I'm crazy for you. _

**A/N: **I'm torturing Leia for my own amusement, but it's not everyday you get to read about her sing. Like her, I get into embarrassing moments, like when my classmates in high school would ask me to sing and they'll laugh at me, hehe! Stupid me... but don't you know that Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, can sing? Logon to blueharvest. and go the "sounds" link found at the side of the main page. Go there, and you'll find a music link to the singing voice of Carrie Fisher. You'll be hearing her sing once you click it. Tell me what you think about it once you've heard it!

Thanks again, and RR please!


	19. The First Kiss

"My Sassy Princess" 

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Star Wars. The dialogues came directly from the movies. No infringement here.

**A/N: **One reviewer told me, "Let them kiss and make up!" I guess the story is a little bit dragging if I'll make them take longer, so I think I'll use flashback scenes for this chapter.

**SUMMARY: **Fast forward to the battle of Hoth. This takes place after Hoth was destroyed by the Imperials, Han and Leia escapes through the Millennium Falcon with Chewie and Threepio, and Luke heads off to Dagobah to train under the Jedi Master, Yoda.

The moment you've all been waiting for... Han and Leia's kiss inside the Falcon! (I, too, am excited for this one!)

CHAPTER XIX- The First Kiss 

Alone in the Millennium Falcon, Leia was engrossed in welding one of the valves. Her mind wanders off to the events of the past few days. Hoth was exterminated, and she, along with Han, Chewie, and Threepio had to escape by riding in the Falcon. Luke headed off to Dagobah to train under the Jedi master, Yoda. They had to make an emergency landing in an asteroid field, because the engines of the Falcon needed to be repaired. Add to it, Imperials chased them and was about to take them under siege, but thankfully, they didn't reach them.

The past few days had stressed Leia emotionally. Not only she was busy with the Rebellion, she and Han had been on each other's nerves. When they first came to Hoth, it was Han who was trying to get her attention, but after the Entertainment Night, Leia found herself in want of his attention. _Am I carried away with the song I sang, that's why I'm the one now who's trying to get his attention? _She mused. Leia reached out for a screwdriver and continued on with the repairs. _Sheesh, _she thought, sighing. _This is taking me so long to repair this valve. _And along with it, she realized that she and Han are also taking so long to express their feelings, if ever there was some feelings in the first place. Both of them were taking what seems like forever, to figure out what was really there in the first place.

Leia remembered the day that she overheard Han talking to General Rieekan about leaving the Rebellion, because of his problem with the Hutt, and how she wanted him to stay, but tried so hard not to show it.

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In the command center, she happened to pass by a corner, when she overheard two men talking. Leia immediately recognized the voice, and decided to linger on to listen to their conversation.

"I'm sorry to hear that", she heard General Rieekan say to Han. She cocked her head more and tried to listen intently without being noticed.

"Well, there's a price on my head," Han replied in his masculine, suave voice, which Leia loved hearing the sound of. "If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man."

_What is this about? _She thought. _Is he going to leave? _She felt uneasy about it. For the first time in her life, she wanted Han to stay. Han, the man she used to loathe, was going away. Leia couldn't bear to lose sight of him again. He went away before on a trip to Tatooine, and during the course of those seven days, she was already going mad over missing him.

"A death mask's not an easy thing to live with," General Rieekan said regretfully. "You're a good fighter, Solo. I hate to lose you."

"Thank you, General." That was the end of their conversation. As Leia was about to leave, she felt Han's presence behind her. He turned to Leia, and said, without any hint of emotion in his voice, "Well, your highness, I guess this is it."

"That's right," she shot back, trying to sound as if the conversation between Han and Rieekan did not matter to her at all. The truth is, she was angry that Han didn't tell her about his problem. Han was appalled with her reaction, as if she did not give a damn at all, when he knew that she was concerned with him leaving. Han sees she has no warmth to offer him, and so, he shook his head and adopted a sarcastic tone.

"Well, don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess," he said coolly. Han walked away into the quiet corridor adjoining the command center. Leia just stood there and felt like following him, wanting to talk to him about the issue. _Will I go after him or not? _She asked herself. She hesitated, but then decided to go after him.

"Han!" she called out. Her voice echoed in the corridor, and was audible enough for Han to hear it. Han turned to him and said, "Yes, your highness-ness?" He stared at her piercingly. Leia felt affected standing beside him, and was at a lost for words to say. _What would I say to him? _Then, she thought of saying this. "I thought you decided to stay," she said emptily.

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind." He, too, didn't know what to make of her gesture. He felt she was trying so hard to be what she was not, knowing that he was the only person who could make the chilly facade of Ice Princess melt.

"Han, we need you!" she exclaimed.

"We?" he asked confusingly. _Or you needed me more than they do?_

"Yes."

"Oh, what about you need?" he asked. He planned to make her pour out what she was hiding inside. _I can sense you wanted me to stay. What a miracle! You never really liked me at first, and now, you wanted me to stay?_

Leia looked mystified. Han surely knows how to get into her and take advantage of her inner turmoil with him. "I need?" she asked, confused, and pretends to act indifferent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Han was fed up with the way she acted. "You probably don't."

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?' she shot back, the tone of her voice raising. Then he said what she feared to hear.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!" he exclaimed. Leia was taken aback; shocked that he knew what was inside her all along, but she knew it was the truth. She wanted him to stay because of it. _Stupid feelings!_

"Yes," she said. Han was sure _that _was really the case, but instead, she continued on with an excuse. "You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader." Han was obviously pissed off with what she said, and adopted again that "_I don't care" _demeanor.

"No!" He exclaimed coolly. "That's not it. Come on. Aahhh-uh huh! Come on!" he taunted her.

Leia stared at him, then she understood. _He does know. _But she tried to conceal it, and laughed at his face, like she doesn't care, and felt like an idiot for doing so.

"You're imagining things," she said in between laughs, which annoyed Han very much. He thought of a witty tirade to make her stop. "Afraid I was going to leave you with a goodbye kiss?" he asked snootily, remembering the "accidental kiss" that happened during the Rebel Olympics.

Leia was flustered. "I'd just as soon kiss a wookie," she said haughtily, and walked away, not wanting to talk with Han anymore. Han was amused at her reaction.

"I can arrange that," he called out. "You can use a good kiss." _And maybe it's the only thing you need to stop acting so mushy on me._

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Han sipped his cup of coffee and placed it down at the holder beside him. He stood up and decided to take a walk around the Falcon's quarters. He thought of searching for Leia, and decided that she was probably down in the basement, fixing the valves. He decided to go there. As he walked, he recalled the time that when the Falcon accelerated, she fell into his arms...

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"Let go," Leia said as she fell into Han and caught her. Leia blushed to the roots of her hair, and Han decided to hold her a little longer. He was amazed at how warm she felt, and how she seemed to have no bones. They say that girls, when you hold them, are five degrees warmer and seemed to have no bones, and Han realized it was true, all along.

"Shhh," Han hushed her as he held her tighter, which made her blush even more.

"Let go, please," Leia said hesitatingly, still trying to maintain her composure. She could feel herself on the verge of giving in to him.

Han even managed to crack a joke. "Don't get excited."

"Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited," she replied coyly.

Han smiled at her. _You probably want more than that, huh? _He thought. "Sorry, sweetheart. I haven't got time for anything else."

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As he walked down the basement, Han saw Leia welding the valve. Leia stopped for a while when she felt him approach, as his presence made all the cells in her body come to life. Then she continued on with her work. She felt goose bumps all over when Han came closer to her. Han reached out for a screwdriver, but Leia motioned him not to bother.

"Hey, your worship, I'm only trying to help," Han said, looking aghast.

Leia frowned at him. "Would you please stop calling me that?" she requested.

Han smiled, thinking, _Maybe she'd like to be called by her real name. _"Sure Leia." He breathed a sigh of relief, and thought that he only mentions her name whenever he's angry with her. Leia felt so elated at hearing Han mention her name. "Oh, you make it so difficult sometimes," she muttered.

Han felt that the mood between them was getting lighter, and the conversation more intimate. No more tension and anger this time brewing between the two of them. "I do, I really do, you could be a little nicer, though." He added, "Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right..."

"Occasionally, maybe," she cut him off. "When you aren't acting like a scoundrel."

Han laughed. "Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that." He reached out for her hand, which was already swollen from doing all the repairs, and started to massage it. Leia flushes, thinking, _What is he trying to do? _It was the first time he did this to her. "Stop that!" she exclaimed hesitatingly. "My hands are dirty." She pulled away her hand and rested it on a console.

"My hands are dirty too," he replied. "What are you afraid of?" he suddenly asked.

Leia looked right into his eyes. "Afraid?" She felt like running and hiding away from him, thinking, _this isn't right. Why is he looking at me like that? _Han looked at her piercingly, and she realized how dashing, confident, and handsome he looked. She felt like melting as she felt herself being drawn closer and closer to him. Without warning, he reached out for her hand slowly from where it rested on a console, and draws it closer towards him. She could feel her whole body wildly electrocuted by him, and at the same time, a bit excited and afraid for what was about to come.

"You're trembling," Han told her, as he could feel her wanting to break away from him. But he kept his hold tightly, and promised this time that he would never let her go.

"I'm not trembling," Leia denied. Then she felt herself drawn even closer towards him. She could feel his breath against her face.

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

Leia's tone of voice changes, and in a whisper, she said excitedly, "I happen to like nice men."

"I'm a nice man," Han replied. She could feel his face so close next to hers, and Han decided to kiss her right then and there. As he was about to, she added, "No you're not, you're..."

There was no turning back this time. Leia's sentence was cut off as Han kissed her hotly and passionately. Time seemed to stop, as both were lost in their kiss. Han realized he had always wanted to kiss her this way, and Leia thought, _I've always wanted this. _He kissed her deeper, which made her body bend backwards, and she indulges in the kiss she'd always dreamed of. It made them forget all the things they hated about each other, and with that, a new feeling came over them.

Leia looked liked she was already going to faint from the kissing, and both were so engrossed in the intense moment between the two of them, that they didn't noticed Threepio approaching. Han pulled back when he heard Threepio's voice, and Leia, embarrassed at being caught, looked at Han for a moment and walked out.

As she walked in the corridor, Leia felt like flying, her head still pleasantly dizzy from the kiss as she smiled to herself, and never minded that she looked like she was about to go crazy with the lopsided smile she had on her lips. She pressed her finger to her lips, thinking, _Captain Solo kissed me! _She gushed romantically. It was what she always dreamed of: that Han would love her back. And with that kiss, she was sure he did.

**A/N: At last, they finally did it! They kissed! Woohoooo! RR please! The next chapter would be the last chapter in the series.**


	20. Now For Real

"My Sassy Princess" 

**DISCLAIMER: **You know the drill.

**SUMMARY: **After their first kiss, just some bonding between Han and Leia . I feel the need to stop here, as this happened before Han was frozen into carbonite. If I continued, it would be so dragging, that it's not a humor/romance story anymore.

CHAPTER XX-Now for Real 

That night, Han prepared a special dinner for Leia, to celebrate their first kiss. Leia enjoyed the food prepared by Han, and after the dinner, they sat beside each other on the pilot's deck. They had another intimate and wonderful conversation while looking at the stars shining in the sky reflected in the semi-circular window.

"So, how was the kiss, huh?" Han asked Leia mischievously. Leia blushed, saying, "Oh, I didn't like it," she joked. Han looked appalled with what she said, and she laughed. "Just kidding. I loved it!" she exclaimed. "I never expected you would kiss me that way."

"I've always knew you dreamed of it," Han muttered shyly. He stopped and added, "By the way, I forgot to give this to you." Han reached out for something inside his pocket, and pulled out a tiny box. He opened it, and asked Leia for her hand. "Give me your left hand," he said.

"What is that for?" she asked curiously. To her surprise, Han slid a silver ring on her left ring finger. "Oh Han, you're giving me a ring?" she said in astonishment. "Does this mean we're now..."

"We're now a couple, starting today," Han said smilingly. He raised his own hand and showed Leia the ring he wore, which was paired with the other one. Leia smiled at him, and Han could feel her smile melting his heart. _This is now for real, _he thought.

Without warning, Leia suddenly asked him, "Are you still angry at me for kissing Luke?" She remembered him looking so taken aback when Leia once kissed Luke in front of him. Han frowned a little, and then said, "Oh, not anymore. Just forget about it. I kind of understand why you did it. And you succeeded."

"Did I make you jealous?"

Han laughed. "You sure did. I've always been jealous whenever you're with Luke."

"Why would you? At least you now knew that I never felt anything for him the way you thought it to be. Although at first, I used to crush on him..."

"You had a crush on Luke!" Han asked, pretending to be surprised. He pretended to have that "I'm-getting-jealous-again" look on his face, which made Leia double over in laughing.

"Oh, come on, that was before! Forget it!" she exclaimed in between laughs.

"What did you see in him, anyway? I looked better than him, don't I?"

"Stop being so obnoxious, Han. Don't worry, from now on, you'll only be the most gorgeous guy for me," Leia assured him.

Han pinched Leia on both cheeks. "My nerf-brain Princess is sooo cute!" He said in admiration. Leia was starting to look cuter and prettier every moment he was with her.

"Get your hands off me, you nerf!" Leia exclaimed as she shoved off his hands from her cheeks. "Can't you think of any other adjectives to describe me? I'm tired of hearing you say that I'm a nerf brain."

"I'm not good at adjectives, your highnessness."

"If you take this challenge, I'd give you another kiss," Leia told him. Han smiled, and said, "Okay, I'd like this." He thought for a while, and then spoke out what he had in mind.

"Well, aside from being a nerf brain, you're... you're cute and..."

"You're always telling me I look cute," Leia rolled her eyes in boredom. "People used to tell me I'm cute. Can't you think of something else?"

"Oh, I'd love this challenge," Han smiled. "Hmmmm..." he thought, "Let's see... you're Nerf Brain Organa," he looked at Leia and winked, while Leia pretended to look at Han meanly, "Oh, I forgot, you're my beloved Leia Organa, my insanely pretty, and occasionally deranged Alderaanian Princess..."

"Please forget for a while that I'm a princess."

"Okay... so, you're annoying, whiny, scary," Han commented, and Leia understood he was joking. She loved it this time.

"You take too long in dressing up, and you're loud sometimes," Han continued.

"I'm not that loud!" she exclaimed.

"I know! You're adorable, beautiful, and so cute and full of charm..."

"Why don't you sing it to me instead?" Leia snapped back.

"A, you're adorable, B, you're so beautiful, C, you're so cute and full of charm..." Han sang.

"Harhar, corny! And please don't sing anymore, it makes me fall asleep!"

"Ah!" Han finally thought of something that he thought best describes her. "You're annoying, yet endearing. That's right! You're... you're my sassy princess!" He paused for a while and stared at Leia, who was smiling widely at him. "Okay, where's my kiss?" he demanded, eager to be kissed again.

"Don't be demanding," Leia replied, pretending to look like as if she was knocked out of boredom. "Why don't you repeat what you said?"

Han sighed. "I said you're my sassy..."

He was cut off when Leia gave him a peck on the cheek. "There's you're kiss!" she said smilingly.

"Only on the cheek?" Han asked regretfully.

"What more would you want?"

Han and Leia smiled at each other, and sensed what the other one were feeling. They had always waited this day to come, for them to be able to express their feelings, which they once hid from the other. Their love is indeed real. They would never allow their social background or differences to get in the way of their relationship. Love had indeed found its way with the Princess and the Smuggler.

They leaned their heads towards each other, and with the sky sprinkled with stars as backdrop, they locked lips in another passionate kiss. This time, they're now together. Forever. Han and Leia.

Nerf Brain Organa loves Nerf Herder Solo.

-FIN-


	21. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

**ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: **

First of all, I want to say a big "THANK YOU!" to all my readers who either loved (or loathed) my ficcy. If not for you guys, I won't have the desire to continue writing this. Thanks, thanks, thanks, so much to your reviews, especially with Hannah! I've always looked forward to reading your reviews in every chapter. Love you too, sweetie! (,) And to the future readers of my story, thank you too for dropping by!

To my six-year old computer, that always hung because it's so old, but still cooperates with me in writing my fic, thanks a lot too!

To the staff at fanfiction, for giving me the chance to publish my thoughts down on this story. Indeed, this website is a blessing, for it gives Star Wars fans like me to let loose with my creativity and imagination. I feel lucky to be living in this generation, for fans have become more expressive through fanfic writing.

To the creator of Star Wars and owner of Lucasfilm, Mr. George Lucas, for being so kind enough to allow us fans to write fanfics. No infringement here, just pure, clean fun. We fans are so happy and inspired with this movie. Star Wars rocks! Yeah!

To the actors who played Han and Leia in the film, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, respectively... hehehe! Just feel like writing this one! (Although sometimes, I imagine Korean actress Song Hye Kyo playing the part of Leia in my fic, no thanks to my Korean dramas overdose.)

To my parents, who tolerates my addiction for Star Wars... thanks mom and dad! I'd do my best not to get overboard with this.

Most of all, to the One who gave me this talent and creativity, the Big Guy in the Sky (a.k.a. God)... Lord God, thanks so much for this talent! I believe I give glory to You by writing this, as my way of saying thanks. A big, big "THANK YOU!" to the Lord our God!

**AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM. **

-Maiden of Endor


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